South Bend, Indiana was shaken in the early hours of Wednesday when 58‑year‑old Pedro Rosales was killed in a crash tied to a short but dangerous police pursuit. Rosales was driving his Chevrolet Cruze through the busy junction of Sample and Michigan Streets around 3:30 a.m. when another vehicle, fleeing from police, slammed into his car.
Police in South Bend say they spotted a GMC Sierra pickup reported stolen near South and Fellows Streets and tried to pull it over. The driver, identified as 31‑year‑old Tyler Straub with 24‑year‑old passenger Janet Binion, did not stop when officers activated their lights. Within about a minute, the pickup ran a red light at the Sample and Michigan intersection and struck Rosales’ smaller car.
Emergency crews rushed Rosales to a local hospital after the impact. He fought for his life, but later died from his injuries. Friends and family members describe Rosales as a quiet man who always waved to neighbors and cared deeply for his community. His loss has rippled across the neighborhood near downtown South Bend.
Straub and Binion were also hurt in the crash. Both were taken to the hospital with injuries from the collision. Once medically cleared, authorities arrested them on outstanding warrants connected to the stolen vehicle and related incidents.
The intersection was closed for hours as investigators from the St. Joseph County Fatal Accident Crash Team and the South Bend Police Department’s Pursuit Review Committee combed through evidence. Officers looked at traffic camera footage and spoke to witnesses to piece together exactly how the events unfolded in those first critical moments before the crash.
Officials stress that pursuits, even brief ones, can be deadly. While officers say they were responding to property crime, the choice by the suspect to flee and run a red light turned a routine stop into a tragedy that cost an innocent man his life. Police continue to remind drivers and passengers that compliance during a traffic stop can save lives.
Rosales’ family has been notified and is making funeral arrangements. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, and they expect to release more details as prosecutors review charges and evidence. The South Bend community is left grappling with how quickly a moment on the road can lead to heartbreak.
