Bloomington man arrested after I-65 pursuit in Bartholomew County

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. - A Monroe County man was arrested Sunday evening after fleeing from Indiana State Police (ISP) on southbound I-65 and later striking two vehicles before coming to a stop. A Senior ISP Trooper was on his way home from working the Indy 500 when the incident began.

Just after 7:30 p.m., near the 77‑mile marker, a car nearly sideswiped the officer's patrol vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver, later identified as Joe Dylan Hacker, 23, of Bloomington, fled when a traffic stop was attempted, prompting a brief chase that was terminated after two miles due to safety concerns related to heavy traffic and wet road conditions.   

A short time later, dispatch reported that the same vehicle had crashed farther south on the interstate. State police radio advised that other motorists had allegedly boxed in the driver after colliding with two vehicles. Troopers later confirmed Hacker had struck two other vehicles, both resulting in property‑damage‑only crashes, before coming to a stop near the 61‑mile marker.

When officers made contact, Hacker allegedly failed to comply with repeated commands, leading a trooper to deploy his Taser to subdue the suspect. ISP later learned the vehicle had been reported stolen in Marion County.   

Hacker was transported to Columbus Regional Health, where he was medically evaluated and later cleared. He was then taken into custody and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail.   

In addition to several traffic infractions, he faces the following charges:   

Felony Charges:
• Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle (Level 6 Felony)
• Theft of a Motor Vehicle (Level 6 Felony)
• Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle Used in a Crime (Level 6 Felony)
• Obstruction of Justice (Level 6 Felony)

Misdemeanor Charges:
• Resisting Law Enforcement (Misdemeanor-A)
• Operating While Intoxicated - Endangerment (Misdemeanor-A)
• Theft - All Other Larceny (Misdemeanor-A)
• Aggressive Driving (Misdemeanor-A)
• Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Crash (Misdemeanor-B)
• Reckless Driving Causing Property Damage (Misdemeanor-B)
• Operating While Intoxicated (Misdemeanor-C)
• Refusal to Identify (Misdemeanor-C)