Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a serious accident at 36th Street and Mishawaka Avenue in South Bend just after 7:00 p.m. Sunday, forcing them to block off roads in the area.

Police are saying it all started when a car, driving south on 36th, pulled in front of a motorcycle driving westbound on Mishawaka Ave.

Witnesses say the car took off after a crowd of people came out of nearby Murphy's Bar. A witness hopped in his car and chased after the suspect, apparently forcing him to stop, and then attacked him.

“I saw the Malibu coming across 36th Street right here hit the motorcycle. He went to stop here in front of Allstate and a whole bunch of people may have been coming out of the bar and may have spooked him and he left and a gold Intrepid went and followed behind,” witness Mishana Conlee said.

“The Intrepid followed him and from what I heard he got stopped down there at Vine and 35th and the guy in the gold Intrepid got a punch in on him,” Conlee added.

The suspect, 50-year-old James Matsco of Mishawaka, was taken into custody. Police say the witness who chased him detained him until officers arrived.

The man driving the motorcycle, 40-year-old Joseph Ready of South Bend, is in critical condition. He suffered a severe head injury in the crash. The female passenger, 43-year-old Ginger Harley of Mishawaka, suffered minor injuries. Neither were wearing helmets.

Matsco wasn't injured but he was taken to the hospital for a mandatory blood test. Alcohol is said to be a factor in the crash.

The St. Joseph County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is investigating the crash because of the severity of Ready's injury.