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Police Officer Killed In Crash In Southern Indiana

Posted at 5:34 AM, Dec 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-13 06:19:46-05
Sgt. Ben Bertram

SCOTTSBURG, Ind. (WAVE 3)— A police officer was killed in a crash following a chase with a suspect near Scottsburg, Indiana.

The crash was reported around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, near the intersection of State Road 3 and State Road 56 in Scott County.

The pursuit began in Clark County, near Charlestown, at about 10:20 p.m., after Charlestown Police Sgt. Ben Bertram tried to stop a suspect. That suspect, 23-year-old Benjamin Eads, fled north on State Road 3 and continued into Scott County, according to a release from Indiana State Police.

Benjamin Eads

As the chase approached State Road 56 near Scottsburg, “Bertram’s vehicle crossed over State Road #56 and left the roadway, striking a tree in the front yard of a nearby residence,” the release said.

Bertram, 35, a nine-year veteran of the Charlestown Police Department, died at the scene.

Eads now faces charges in both Scott and Clark counties and could face additional charges. He’s currently in custody at the Scott County Jail.