INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - The man who police say fled from a police officer Tuesday, leading to a pursuit that ended in a fatal crash, was under surveillance by officers prior to the chase.
Police have identified Michael Ramsey, 32, as the victim who died in a police pursuit that ended in a fiery crash Tuesday night. Four people were hospitalized after the crash, which happened at Arlington Avenue and Brookville Road about 7:15 p.m.
State police Capt. Dave Bursten said a trooper spotted a car making illegal lane maneuvers around 10th Street and Post Road and tried to pull him over. The car instead took off.
Bursten said a pursuit ensued which lasted about five minutes. A surveillance camera captured dramatic video of the deadly collision.
The suspect's car, a light-colored Oldsmobile, ran through the intersection at Arlington and Brookville and slammed into a black BMW SUV, then struck a 2005 GMC pick-up truck and caught fire.
The driver, 37-year-old Mark Padgett of Indianapolis, suffered a broken leg in the crash.
On Wednesday, ISP said in a media release that Padgett was "involved in a heroin, possibly laced with the deadly drug Fentanyl, drug transaction in the area of 25th Street and Post Rd."
The release also said that troopers were conducting surveillance on Padgett and that a trooper tried to stop Padgett for a traffic violation but that he led officers on a short pursuit.
- RELATED: Read ISP's policy on pursuits
During the pursuit, Padgett is alleged to have thrown items from the vehicle.
Two people in the BMW were taken to Eskenazi Hospital with what police described as "serious non-life-threatening injuries." Two of the four people in the pick-up truck were taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
As a severe thunderstorm with high winds and driving rain rolled through after the crash, police had to do a detailed investigation in dangerous conditions.
"Not the most ideal conditions to be conducting any type of investigation, but we're working diligently to get to the bottom of what transpired and find out as much as we can," Bursten said.