Lansing man driving with emergency light on car charged with impersonating police officer in Ind., police say

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- A Lansing, Ill. man who Indiana State Police said was driving recklessly while with an emergency light activated has been charged with impersonating a police officer.

Police said 21-year-old Collin Hamlin was driving a tan Jeep Cherokee at a high rate of speed on I-80/94 near mile marker six in Lake County at about 10:20 p.m. Sunday.

Hamlin was driving "recklessly" with a red and blue emergency light activated, which caused other motorists to yield, police said.

An Indiana state trooper ran the license plate on the Cherokee and discovered it was not a law enforcement vehicle and pulled the vehicle over.

Police said Hamlin was "frantically" trying to unplug the emergency light as the trooper approached. Police said Hamlin told them he was always wanted to be a cop since he served as a junior cadet at an Illinois police department.

Hamlin has been charged with a felony count of impersonating a law officer, a misdemeanor count of reckless driving and three Class C infractions for emergency lights on an unauthorized private vehicle, unsafe lane movement and following too closely.