A South Bend man is in jail for numerous offenses after leading an Indiana State Trooper on a brief chase.

It was around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, when a state police trooper made a traffic stop on a tan Chevrolet for an equipment violation near the intersection of Bendix Drive and Cleveland Road.

The Chevrolet stopped in the right lane and as Tharp approached the driver’s side of the Chevrolet, the driver put the car in gear, fleeing westbound on Cleveland Road.

Near the intersection of Cleveland Road and Ralph Jones Drive, the trooper saw the driver throw something out of the car before the driver came to a stop on Ralph Jones Drive north of the intersection.

The driver, identified as Clifton Vortice, 43 of South Bend, was taken into custody.  Vortice was allegedly showing signs of being under the influence of drugs while speaking with the trooper and was taken to the hospital to have a certified test completed.  The results of this test are pending.

Further investigation resulted in troopers finding a bag containing approximately 15 grams of suspected ecstasy that Vortice allegedly threw from the car while fleeing.  Troopers also found suspected marijuana in the vehicle.

Vortice was transported to the St. Joseph County Jail for Dealing a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Obstruction of Justice, Resisting Law Enforcement, Driving While Suspended-Prior, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Operating While Intoxicated.