By James Scalzitti
Chicago Sun-Times
CHESTERTON, Ind. — An Indianapolis woman told police she had taken “bath salts” - powders containing hallucinogenic stimulants - before fleeing an accident scene, leading police on a wild chase and crashing into squad cars in Indiana Dunes State Park.
Britni L. Morrison, 29, was arrested at 3:13 p.m. Tuesday, Chesterton Police said. Morrison, driving a 1999 Honda Accord, rear-ended a 2011 Ford Focus near Indiana 49 and Gateway Boulevard and drove away Tuesday afternoon, police said.
Officers caught up with her on northbound Indiana 49, but she ignored warnings to stop, swerved at and around pursuing officers and slammed on her brakes, police said. They pursued her into the state park, where her car struck a boulder. She refused to get out, put the car in reverse and accelerated, missing parked squad cars. Then she accelerated into the park, entered a closed parking lot and sped toward beach visitors, police said. When officers tried to block her in, she rammed several squad cars, police said.
She was taken to Porter Hospital, where she told doctors she had used “bath salts” about two hours earlier, police said. When doctors tried to get a blood sample, she stood up and kicked a hospital staffer, police said.
On Wednesday, she was in custody on several charges at the Porter County Jail in Valparaiso, police said.
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