Lafayette man suspected of stealing semi, leading police on chase

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Jonathan Eugene Cain of Lafayette remained jailed Monday on suspicion that he stole a semi, struck two cars with the rig and led police on a three-county chase early Saturday.

Cain struck two vehicles on the Hoosier Heartland Highway near Tippecanoe County Road 900 East, according to Indiana State Police, indicating they received reports of the accidents a few minutes after midnight.

Cain continued south on the state highway, and troopers caught up to Cain and the semi as Cain turned onto southbound onto Interstate 65, police said.

Troopers, along with other police officers, chased Cain and the semi, and Cain managed to avoid stop sticks that were put into the path of the rig, according to police.

However, at I-65's exit for Indiana 28/Frankfort in Clinton County, the semi rolled over the stop sticks, flattening some of the rig's tires, according to police.

Cain drove the rig another 10 miles to the rest area about two miles north of the Indiana 47/Thorntown exit in Boone County, according to police. He ran off the road as he drove into the rest area, police said.

Cain appeared to be intoxicated, police said, noting that his blood-alcohol content tested .095 percent. In Indiana, .08 percent is legally drunk.

Troopers arrested Cain, 33, 442 S. Fifth St., Lafayette, at the rest area.

He is jailed on suspicion of three separate counts of driving while intoxicated, aggressive driving, conversion, two counts of resisting law enforcement, reckless driving, auto theft, leaving the scene of an accident and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, according to jail records.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette man suspected of stealing semi, leading police on chase