Motorcyclist fleeing police dies after crashing into semi

LAKE STATION, Ind. (AP) - A motorcyclist fleeing police died early Thursday after crashing into the rear of a semitrailer on Interstate 80/94 in northwest Indiana, State Police said.

Theodore D. Hickman, 21, of Portage was fleeing Portage police at the time of the crash just before 1 a.m., police said.

The semitrailer was changing lanes at the time, and the collision ejected Hickman from his motorcycle, police said.

The police chase reached a speed of 80 mph, said Sgt. Rob Maynard, a spokesman with the Portage Police Department.

An officer began following the motorcycle to determine if it was speeding and saw Hickman disregard a the stop sign and traffic signals, Maynard told The (Northwest Indiana) Times.

The semitrailer driver was not injured.