Police were led on a high-speed chase through parts of downtown Warsaw Friday after a driver failed to stop his vehicle for an officer attempting to pull him over. The driver was identified as Joshua F. Hamman, 35, Silver Lake. According to a press release from the Warsaw Police Department, at approximately 1 p.m. Friday, a Warsaw officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a white Plymouth Breeze on East Jefferson Street for erratic driving. When the officer attempted the stop, the vehicle fled north and then west on Market and Center Streets disregarding all traffic control devices and pursuing officers. The pursuit continued west on West Center Street and through Zimmer’s parking lot to Zimmer Road when officers attempted roadblocks, but the suspect vehicle attempted to ram officers. The pursuit turned west onto Crystal Lake Road and the suspect vehicle stopped near CR 400W. Hamman was taken into custody without further incident, according to the release. Hamman advised he fled because he had multiple warrants for his arrest and did not have a driver’s license. According to the release, it was verified that Hamman was a life-time habitual traffic violator and he had outstanding warrants for: habitual traffic violator, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated enhancement, leaving the scene of an accident, habitual substance offender, operating a vehicle after C felony, operating a motor vehicle after forfeiture of license, failure to appear B misdemeanor, failure to appear C felony and battery. Hamman was transported to the Kosciusko County Jail and booked in on the warrants and also charged with reckless driving, resisting/fleeing law enforcement with a vehicle and being a habitual traffic violator. He is being held on a $21,500 bond.
