Elkhart County – Around 9:15 a.m. this morning Master Trooper Jeff Frye made what he thought was going to be a routine traffic stop on the US 20 Bypass near CR 1.  The traffic stop suddenly changed direction when the driver exited his car and ran across four lanes of traffic fleeing to the north.

Frye had clocked the east bound 2004 Chrysler Sebring at 85 mph which is 20 mph over the posted speed limit.  Frye stated that he spoke with the driver, Jose Rodriguez, 22, of South Bend, and then returned to his patrol car only to look up and see Rodriguez bounding over the center concrete divider.

An Osceola police officer and several state police units, including an ISP K-9 car, responded to the area in an attempt to locate Rodriguez who was seen running through farm fields and backyards in the area of CR 1 and CR 26 in western Elkhart County. 

Rodriguez ran for nearly two miles before officers caught up with him as he walked out of a wooded area near Ash Rd. and gave up to waiting police.  Rodriguez commented that he saw the police were chasing him and that he didn’t want the dog to catch him, so he gave up.

Rodriguez was cited for speeding, driving while suspended, and taken to the Elkhart County Jail and charged with resisting law enforcement.