Indiana officer steers erratic car away from crowd

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) – Northern Indiana police say an officer prevented a potential disaster when he steered an accelerating car away from more than 100 people gathered for a fireworks show.

The Porter County Sheriff’s Department says Officer Paul Czupryn reached into the car driven by an intoxicated man and steered it away from the crowd Saturday night in Valparaiso.

Czupryn says he ran alongside the car as it accelerated toward the crowd and reached in and steered it away from the people, who started scattering.

He tells The (Munster) Times it “gives me goose bumps when I look back at how close” the driver was to plowing into the crowd.

Police arrested the 20-year-old driver on charges of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, drunk driving and criminal recklessness.