A 44-year-old man fell or jumped Thursday from an elevated ramp at Indianapolis International Airport after a car chase that ended in a crash, police said.

Richard Stedman, Indianapolis, was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was reported in serious condition Thursday night.

The pursuit began around 3 p.m. on U.S. 40 in Plainfield, when police stopped a Chevrolet Beretta for a traffic violation, said Betsy Krieger, a Plainfield Police Department spokeswoman. Two passengers got out of the car, and police were getting ready to speak to the driver when he sped away, Krieger said.

Plainfield police chased the Beretta east on U.S. 40 and then south on Ind. 267 to I-70. The pursuit continued eastbound into Marion County and onto the ramps that lead to the H. Weir Cook terminal at the airport, until the Beretta crashed on the upper passenger drop-off ramp.

Then, Stedman got out and either fell or jumped an estimated 39 feet to the lower ramp at ground level, police said.

Police have not determined why Stedman fled, but he was wanted on a Marion County warrant charging him with burglary and theft. Stedman has previous convictions for burglary and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Passenger traffic at the airport was not affected, according to Susan Sullivan, spokeswoman for the Indianapolis Airport Authority. Terminal traffic was restricted to one lane in the areas where the car crashed and Stedman landed.