Car crashes into 5-year-old boy's room

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The neighborhood on Kettle Circle in Lafayette is described by neighbors as a quiet place to live, but Thursday night, that wasn't the case.

"I was laying in bed watching TV, and I heard three gunshots right outside the house," said Kettle Circle resident Gary Wolf. "I jumped up, threw some clothes on, came to the office window, and saw the officers chasing a truck."

Lafayette police Lt. Brad Hayworth said that truck was a silver Dodge pickup.

Just after 11:15 Thursday night, Hayworth said officers arrived at the IHOP on South Street in Lafayette, for a report of a man who said he was being held at gunpoint against his will.

When officers arrived at the IHOP, they found bloodstains on the ground, and saw the suspect and the victim drive away in a silver Dodge pickup.
    
"There were shots fired from the silver truck that we were looking for, at the police cars," said Hayworth. "There was an officer that did fire at the truck, and then a short pursuit occurred."

That pursuit led the officers and the suspect through the neighborhood on Kettle Court. That's when Gary Wolf said he saw the dodge pickup stop momentarily, and then, take off.

"He stopped for a minute, and then just floored it and was heading right for the house," said Wolf. "Then, he just veered off to the left, and crashed into my neighbors house."

News 18 spoke with the family Friday afternoon, and while they did not want to do an on camera interview, they did tell us they are very lucky. Their 5-year-old son normally sleeps in the room where the truck crashed, but Thursday night, he decided to sleep with his mom and dad.

Hayworth said after the crash, the two men inside the truck were both found dead.

Police are waiting for autopsy results before concluding the cause of death.

While the cause of death is unknown, Hayworth said background information shows the relationship between the two men was a short one, as police believe, the men had only known each other for a few days.

The family told News 18 they stayed in a hotel Thursday night.    

Friday, inspectors ruled their house was safe to live in, but the family said contractors tell them it could be 45 days until their house is completely fixed.

Police did confirm the identity of one of the men, 62-year-old Joel Hershman from Brook, Ind.

At this time, it is unclear whether he was the suspect or the victim.