A suspect accused of making threats and violating a protection order led officers in northwest Indiana on a chase that ended when he crashed into a tree and was ejected from the vehicle, police said.

The Portage Police Department said on Friday, officers were called to a residence on Fiesta Drive after complaints of threats and a protection order violation. Later in the day, at around 3:45 p.m., officers were again dispatched to the property for the same reason, police said.

As officers arrived on the scene, the suspect’s vehicle was seen traveling away from the home. An officer later attempted to pull the driver over along Willowcreek Road near 700 North. The vehicle made a U-turn, and the officer believed he was coming to a stop – but the driver quickly sped away, police said.

At the intersection of Willowcreek Road and U.S. 6, the driver went through a red light and struck an oncoming vehicle before losing control and slamming into a tree. The suspect’s vehicle rolled several times, causing the driver to be ejected, police stated.

The driver was airlifted for treatment, but his condition wasn’t immediately known. A female passenger was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with injuries.

The driver who was hit at the intersection was treated at the scene and released, police said.

A third vehicle in a nearby parking lot was hit by the suspect’s vehicle as it rolled, and a person inside that vehicle was hospitalized with minor injuries.

The incident remained under investigation as of Friday night.

• Indiana freshman Vaughn Karvala is focused on adding weight and strength to his 6-foot-7 frame.
• Karvala was a highly-ranked recruit who averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in his junior season in high school.
• He believes his athleticism and shooting ability will allow him to contribute to the team immediately.
• Karvala is preparing for the physicality of college basketball by challenging himself against bigger teammates.

BLOOMINGTON — Whatever he can.

That’s the answer. The question — one prompted by an urgency to add strength to his game — is what Vaughn Karvala, Indiana basketball’s athletic freshman wing, is doing to add weight. IU’s highest-ranked signee in the 2026 class, it’s not hard to envision a role for Karvala in Darian DeVries’ second season in Bloomington. The player himself knows that starts with meeting the physical demands of the college game.

Which starts with building onto to his 6-foot-7, 190-pound frame.

“The biggest thing for me is just putting on weight,” Karvala told reporters after practice Thursday. “That’s my biggest thing, getting stronger, trying to play with these guys that are three, four years older than me. I have to get stronger, I have to get faster, everything.”

A three-year letter winner at Oregon (Wisconsin) High School, Karvala spent his senior season at Bella Vista Prep in Arizona, bolstering a profile that saw him ranked No. 62 nationally per the 247Sports Composite.

Karvala averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his final season with Oregon, shooting close to 42% from behind the 3-point line. He averaged another 14.7 points per game with Team Herro on the EYBL circuit.