A Chesterton man died early this morning after crashing his motorcycle on C.R. 875N in Liberty Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said.

The victim was identified as Timothy Gajdik, 33.

According to police, at 3:15 a.m. a Portage Police officer observed Gajdik accelerate at a high rate of speed from eastbound Fallen Timbers Ave. and proceeded to try to catch up to him. The officer followed Gadjik as he turned right onto southbound Airport Ave. and then left onto eastbound C.R. 875N (Robbins Road).

Gajdik continued eastbound on C.R. 875N, police said, disregarding the stop sign at the intersection of C.R. 450W and catching the attention of two PCSP officers who were executing an unrelated traffic stop at the location.

The two PCSP officers cleared their stop and fell in behind the Portage officer to assist. As the three crossed Ind. 149, moving from Portage Township into Liberty Township, they observed signs of a motorcycle crash and subsequently found Gajdik lying in the roadway, police said.

Gajdik was pronounced dead at the scene.

Evidence indicates that Gajdik left the roadway to the south side of C.R. 875N, east of Ind. 149, and struck a tree at a high rate of speed, police said.

The three officers did not actually witness the crash, according to the original reports, due to the “increasing distance” between Gajdik on his motorcycle and the officers behind him.

The results of a routine toxicology screen are pending, police added.

Posted 6/7/2012