By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES – A Berrien County Sheriff's Department South County patrol car crashed in South Bend, Ind., at about 2:15 a.m. this morning, apparently while chasing suspects from a Niles area home invasion.
Suspects in the home invasion got away, though South Bend officers did find their abandoned vehicle.
The sheriff's deputy apparently suffered only minor injuries from the crash.
South Bend television stations reported the crashed patrol car was one from the City of Niles. However, that was not the case, said Jim Merriman of the Niles City Police Department.
A press release issued this morning from the Berrien County Sheriff's Department reported that a deputy pursued suspects from a home invasion that took place in the 1900 block of South 13th Street in Niles Township.
Sheriff's deputy Jason Haskins spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle leaving the area of the home invasion, traveling at a high rate of speed with no headlights on.
The press release reported Haskins attempted to stop the vehicle on South 11th Street in Niles.
As the pursuit continued into South Bend, the report said Haskins requested assistance from the South Bend, Ind., police department. At the intersection of LaSalle Street and Lafayette in South Bend, Haskins' patrol car was struck on the driver's side by a vehicle driven by Jack Burden of South Bend.
The press release said witnesses stated Haskins had a green light at the time of the crash. No one was injured in the collision.
The suspect vehicle continued and was found abandoned on Cushing Street, south of Lincoln-way West.
An investigation into the identity of the occupants of the fleeing vehicle is under way. The South Bend Police Department is investigating the traffic crash.