An Indianapolis man led Plainfield police on a car chase today from that Hendricks County town to the Indianapolis International Airport, where that man apparently jumped or fell from an elevated ramp.

The injured man, tentatively identified by police as Richard Stedman, 44, was sent to Wishard Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries. His condition was not immediately available.

Police were trying to learn what led to the chase, but that said it appeared that Stedman was wanted on a warrant from Marion County.

“At this point it’s a guessing game on why he got off where he did and crashed where he did,” said Betsy Krieger, police spokeswoman.

The pursuit reportedly began around 3 p.m. Thursday on U.S. 40 near the Duke Energy building in Plainfield, where police had made a traffic stop of a Chevrolet Beretta. Two passengers had gotten out of the car, Krieger, and police were getting ready to speak to the driver when he sped away.

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

It was at the ramp where Stedman either fell or jumped, which was described as a distance of 39 feet to the lower ramp at ground level. Early report said that Stedman may have suffered serious leg injuries.

The two passengers from the Beretta stayed in police custody and were questioned by officers who were trying to learn what led to the chase. Those two people were not immediately arrested, Krieger said.

Records from the Indiana Department of Correction showed that Stedman was convicted for possession of paraphernalia in 2006 and burglary in 2007, with the burglary sentence ending in May. Stedman was wanted on a warrant for theft and burglary that had been issued in September, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Call Star reporter Kevin O’Neal !at (317) 444-6304.