Gary man arrested after running away from crash on I-80/94

A Gary man was arrested after he crashed his SUV early Sunday on I-80/94 in northwest Indiana and then ran away.

The crash happened about 5:45 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the Borman Expressway near the Indianapolis Boulevard exit in Hammond, according to Indiana State Police.

A trooper arrived at the scene and found a 2009 Chevrolet Traverse crashed in the right two lanes, and a 2001 BMW station wagon partially blocking the left and inner berm, police said. Debris from the crash was scattered across the interstate.

The trooper spoke with a 27-year-old Cameron Howell of Gary, who said he had been a passenger in the Traverse at the time of the crash, and that the driver had run away from the scene, police said.

The trooper then spoke with a man being attended by paramedics for pain, who identified Howell as the driver of the Traverse, police said. But Howell also ran from the scene while the trooper was talking to the other man.

Howell was wanted on an active warrant out of Kosciusko County for fraud on a financial institution, forgery, and theft, police said.

About 11:20 p.m., authorities executed a search warrant at Howell’s home in Gary, police said. He admitted to driving the Traverse at the time of the crash and said he panicked because he had a suspended license.

Howell was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving while suspended and failure to remain at the scene of a personal injury crash, and was taken to the Lake County Jail, police said.

A second man, 24-year-old Lenzie F. Gay of Gary, was visiting Howell’s home at the time of the search and was also found to have an active warrant out of Jasper County for driving with a suspended license. He was also arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail.