GRANGER — A St. Joseph County police officer was injured Saturday when a driver eluding police in a high-speed chase caused him to hit a utility pole on Anderson Road.
County police spokesman Sgt. Bill Redman said the suspect continued driving west after the crash occurred about 4:45 p.m., just east of the intersection with Birch Road.

In a news release, Redman released the name of the injured officer: Patrolman Ray Warren.

Warren was taken to Memorial Hospital for facial injuries, pain in his hip and numbness, but he was alert after the crash, Redman said.

At 4:54 a.m., a nursing supervisor at Memorial Hospital said that Warren was in good condition. Redman said in the news release that Warren is 42 years-old and has been an officer with the department for nearly 4 years.

As of 11:45 p.m., police were still looking for the suspect in a black sports car, possibly a Mitsubishi, Redman said.

Redman said the chase began after the suspect drove through a stop sign at about 50 mph at the intersection of County Road 1 and County Road 12 in Elkhart County – about five miles from the crash site.

Elkhart County police pursued the driver and called St. Joseph County officers for assistance, Redman said.

The suspect began driving in a zig-zag pattern on Anderson Road as the St. Joseph County officer approached from the east in his cruiser, lights flashing and siren blaring, Redman said.

The officer swerved to the left to avoid colliding with the suspect vehicle and hit a utility pole and eventually two trees on the north side of Anderson Road.

The police cruiser came to rest about 200 feet east of the point of initial impact.

The vehicle's windshield was smashed, the front bumper was partially folded under the car, and the hood was wrinkled like aluminum foil. The front driver's side wheel was torn from the car and lay in a suburban lawn about 20 feet from the road.

The utility pole, which the officer first struck with the driver's side of the vehicle, lay across the westbound lane of Anderson Road, completely snapped off from its base. Electrical wires were draped across the road.

Harris Township firefighters responded to the scene to remove the officer from the vehicle.

Anyone with information about this crash or suspect vehicle is asked to call St. Joseph County police at (574) 235-9611 or Crime Stoppers at (574) 288-STOP.

Reported by www.wsbt.com

The St. Joseph County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team investigates an accident involving a police cruiser that took down a utility pole on Anderson Road in Granger on Saturday afternoon, June 5, 2010. (Tribune Photo/SANTIAGO FLORES)