A Connersville man was injured Monday morning when he was struck by a police vehicle as he fled from his vehicle on foot. 

The events started around 6 a.m. when a Rush County deputy clocked an eastbound Jeep Cherokee in the 3000 block of east SR 44, in Rush County, at 72 M.P.H. in the 55 M.P.H. zone.

The deputy activated his lights and turned around on the vehicle, but the Jeep Cherokee refused to stop.  The pursuit wound around northbound on numerous county roads and was joined by a second Rush County deputy. The pursuit ended up eastbound into Fayette County onto CR 600 N., which is a gravel road.  Shortly after crossing Fayette County Road 450 W., the Jeep became disabled in the middle of the dusty gravel road.

The preliminary investigation shows that the first pursuing deputy was able to swerve at the last second in the heavy dust to avoid hitting the Jeep. The suspect, who exited his vehicle and began to flee north, was in the roadway when the second pursuing deputy came upon the vehicle in the heavy dust and swerved to miss it.  As the deputy’s SUV swerved left to avoid the vehicle he struck the suspect, who was in the roadway. The deputies performed first aid and EMS was summoned to the scene.

The suspect, Brandon Van Blair, 34, of Connersville, who was found to have a suspended license, was flown from the scene by medical helicopter to a hospital in Indianapolis with what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries.  The Indiana State Police were requested by the Rush County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the crash. The crash was investigated by Senior Trooper Doug Snyder, who was assisted by ISP Reconstruction Investigators Master Trooper Michael Bradbury and Master Trooper Coley McCutcheon.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Fayette County EMS, Connersville Police Department and Bentonville Fire Department.