Man crashes on Far South Side after fleeing Hammond police

A driver fleeing from Hammond police in Indiana crashed a minivan early Wednesday on the Far South Side of Chicago.

Police found the man hiding under a log near the Cal-Sag Channel and arrested him, Hammond police said in a statement.

The over-5-mile pursuit started after a license plate reader in Hammond alerted police of a van reported stolen from Portage, police said.

At 12:30 a.m., officers searched the area and found the silver-colored Dodge Caravan exiting a gas station parking lot near 136th Street and Sheffield Avenue, police said.

They attempted to stop the van, but it took off toward Chicago at a moderate speed, police said. Once in Chicago, the driver hit a guardrail and crashed into an embankment in the 13000 block of South Indiana, Chicago police said.

Officers searched the area with the help of railroad police and found the 20-year-old driver hiding beneath a log, Hammond police said. He was taken to Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island for treatment and placed into custody of Chicago police.

Hammond police said the man had active warrants in Cook County. Lake County will seek extradition for his charges in Indiana, which include theft and failure to appear in court.