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Two arrested after police chase ends in fiery crash in Northwest Indiana: officials

By Lauren Westphal
Published  February 20, 2026 3:30pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • Two people were arrested after a stolen Chevrolet Trax led deputies on a chase Thursday morning from Gary to Hammond, Indiana, ending when the SUV crashed into a concrete barrier at a dead end.
    • The driver and passenger escaped before the vehicle caught fire, were treated at a hospital and then taken into custody.
    • The driver, Martell Richardson, 25, and passenger, Elora Strough, 27, both have active Missouri warrants; charges in the chase are pending.

INDIANA - Two people were arrested after a police chase turned into a fiery crash on Thursday in Indiana, according to the Lake County Sheriff.

What we know:

Just before11:30 a.m., a Lake County Sheriff's officer was notified that a stolen Chevrolet Trax was at W. 15th Avenue and Chase Street in Gary, Ind. When the officer tried to make a traffic stop, the driver stopped and then accelerated west into Hammond. The SUV eventually struck a concrete barrier at a dead-end on 169th Street in Hammond.

The male driver and female passenger got out of the vehicle before part of the SUV caught on fire. They were both taken to the hospital, cleared and taken into custody. 

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Elora Strough, 27, of Clinton, Mo. (Lake County Sheriff)

The driver was identified as Martell Richardson, 25, of Riverdale, Ill., and the passenger was Elora Strough, 27, of Clinton, Mo. Richardson has an active warrant out of Missouri for second-degree assault and domestic battery, while Strough has an active warrant out of Missouri for drug charges as well as is a suspect in a stolen vehicle investigation, according to police.

Charges are still pending.

The Source: Details for this story were provided by Lake County Sheriff.

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