2 Illinois men arrested after vehicle pursuit with Indiana State Police; machine gun seized

VALPARAISO, Ind. (WISH) — Two Illinois men were arrested Monday morning after a vehicle pursuit with Indiana State Police troopers on I-94 in Porter County.

At 4 a.m. Monday, an ISP trooper observed a white Audi traveling at 110 mph in the construction zone eastbound on I-94 at the 16-mile marker. That is near the Lake/Porter County line. The trooper performed a traffic stop on the Audi and it pulled over west of the Burns Harbor exit. As the trooper walked up to the Audi, the driver drove off at a high rate of speed, and a pursuit was initiated.

The driver pulled over a second time on the inside shoulder, and as the trooper was conducting a felony stop on the suspect, the driver again drove away at a high rate of speed. This time, the driver drove across all lanes of travel, and the Audi was struck by a semitruck that was also traveling eastbound.

The Audi came to a stop on the ramp to the Burns Harbor/Porter exit. The driver of the semi was not injured.

While attempting to take the two occupants of the vehicle into custody, the driver again ran back to the car, and after a brief struggle, the trooper was able to place the driver in handcuffs. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, troopers found a fully automatic Glock 45 9 millimeter pistol with a switch and $15,980 in cash.

The driver, identified as Brandan Williams, 19, from Rockford, Illinois, was incarcerated at the Porter County Jail. Williams is being preliminarily charged with possession of a machine gun, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, resisting law enforcement, and recklessly operating a vehicle in a work zone with workers present.

The passenger, identified as Marega Yussuf, of Chicago, Illinois, was incarcerated at the Porter County Jail. Yussuf is being preliminarily charged with possession of a machine gun.