Charges filed against Chicago man in Merrillville hit-and-run

MERRILLVILLE | A Chicago man was charged Wednesday with a New Year's Day hit-and-run crash in Merrillville that critically injured a pedestrian from Highland.

Edward Arnold Nash Jr., 40, of the 9400 block of South Kedzie Avenue, was charged with failure to stop at an accident involving serious bodily injury to another person.

Nash was arrested Wednesday and was awaiting processing, according to Jim Lilley, Merrillville's chief of detectives.

Highland resident Mitchell Heeringa, 27, was hit about 2 a.m. Jan. 1 and underwent emergency brain surgery. The impact of the hit-and-run fractured three of his vertebrae and bruised his brain and lungs.

Heeringa still is being treated for serious injuries, Lilley said.

Heeringa had been attending the annual New Year's Eve party at the Radisson Hotel at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville before the crash. His family said he left the event to make a phone call.

Police were called to Broadway and 80th Place about 2 a.m. Jan. 1 after receiving a report of an injured man lying in the roadway and bleeding, according to court records.

The man, who was identified as Heeringa, was transported to the Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.

Lilley, after receiving a "vague" tip, traveled Jan. 11 to the 8300 block of South Burnham Avenue in Chicago, where he observed a 2003 Chevrolet Venture van that was damaged, court records say.

Lilley then spoke with Nash, who initially said his van had been stolen and he had just got it back, records say. When Lilley asked Nash if he'd been in Indiana on New Year's Day, Nash said, "I hit him," records say.

Nash told Lilley he was leaving the Radisson Hotel and coming around a bend in the road when a man stepped into the roadway in front of him and he hit the man, records say.

Nash said he was scared and kept going but was later sorry for what he had done, records say.