Indiana State Police - News Releases

[ISP] Marshall County Crash Sends Bremen Men to the Hospital (6/18/2013)

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:00:01 GMT

Start Date:	6/18/2013	Start Time:	12:00 AM
End Date:	6/18/2013	End Time:	11:59 PM

Marshall County – Yesterday evening shortly before 5:00 p.m., state police officers and rescue personnel responded to a personal injury accident on SR 331 near 4C Road in Bremen.

Troopers arrived on scene to find a 2000 Plymouth Neon that collided with the rear end of a 1967 Austin Mini Cooper. Purportedly the driver of the north bound Austin, Theodore Hochstetler, 15, of Bremen, had slowed down and was attempting to turn left into a private driveway when his vehicle was struck in the rear by the Neon. The driver of the Neon, Rick A. Willard, 52, of Nappanee, allegedly told a witness that he was distracted just prior to the impact and didn’t see the other vehicle slow down.

Willard was not injured in the crash. Both Hochstetler and his front seat passenger Johnny R. Kuhns, 45, of Bremen, were transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend for injuries they sustained in the crash.

Initial investigation by the state police revealed that Hochstetler was driving his car without a driver’s license or permit. The crash investigation is ongoing and the findings will be forwarded to the Marshall County Prosecutors office for review. Alcohol or drugs do not appear to be a contributing factor in the crash.

[ISP] Working together to Keep Hoosiers Safe this Summer (6/18/2013)

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:00:01 GMT

Start Date:	6/18/2013	Start Time:	12:00 AM
End Date:	6/18/2013	End Time:	11:59 PM

Throughout the summer months the Indiana State Police and Indiana Conservation Officers will participate in many extra patrols to target impaired operators. While troopers will focus on impaired drivers of motor vehicles, Indiana Conservation Officers will take to the Indiana waterways and focus their attention on impaired boat operators. Remember, whether you are operating a motor vehicle or a motor boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol it is all illegal and dangerous.

A video detailing a joint effort of Indiana Conservation Officers and Indiana State Police to address boating and driving while intoxicated can be found at Youtube.com/idnrvideos. Media is encouraged to play all or portions of this 37 second PSA in news casts. City and County agencies with public access television channels may use the PSA as well.

The following information is from a news release dated June 13, 2013 from the DNR Division of Law Enforcement on an upcoming initiative they will be involved in. Any questions should be directed to Lt. William Browne DNR Division of Law Enforcement, (317) 232-0658.

Awareness campaign targets dangers of boating under the influence

Indiana Conservation Officers will join a national campaign in late June aimed at creating a heightened public awareness of the dangers of boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Operation Dry Water (ODW) is scheduled for June 28-30, just before the Fourth of July.

ODW (www.OperationDryWater.org) is a nationwide education and enforcement initiative developed by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Since ODW launched in 2009, the percentage of boating fatalities in the United States in which alcohol is listed as a contributing factor has decreased from 19 percent to 17 percent. Despite the decrease, boating while intoxicated (BWI) accounts for a disproportionate number of on-the-water deaths. In 2011, alcohol was a contributing factor in just 8 percent of boating accidents overall but figured in 17 percent of boating fatalities.

In Indiana, the blood-alcohol limit for boat operators is the same as for vehicle drivers – 0.08. However, studies show that boat operators become impaired by alcohol sooner than people on land because of the motion of the boat, the glare and heat of the sun, and dehydration from sweating.

Boat operators convicted of boating while intoxicated can lose their boat operating and vehicle driving privileges, and face jail time and fees.

According to Indiana Conservation Officers, the safest plan is to have a designated boat operator who is not drinking alcohol.

Citizens often report intoxicated boaters to authorities, which demonstrates an increased public awareness that law-abiding boaters are concerned about safety.

“Keeping our lakes, rivers and reservoirs safe takes an effort from all of us, and we appreciate the efforts of our safe boaters,” said Lt. Kenton Turner, boating law administrator for the DNR Division of Law Enforcement.

[ISP] Fatal Motorcycle Crash on I-80 (6/17/2013)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:00:01 GMT

Start Date:	6/17/2013	Start Time:	12:00 AM
End Date:	6/17/2013	End Time:	11:59 PM

Gary, Lake County-An early morning crash, this Monday morning, took the life of a motorcyclist and caused a car and semi fire that closed I-80 east bound for almost 4 hours.

Preliminary investigation by Trooper John Holmen revealed that at approximately 3:37 A.M., Monday, June 17, 2013, a 2002 Road Hawk trike (3 wheel) motorcycle was east bound on I-80 (Borman Expressway) just east of Chase Street in the left middle lane when for unknown reasons the driver came off the motorcycle. The driver landed in the left middle lane and the motorcycle continued east for approximately ½ mile before it came to rest in the left lane.

A 2000 Volvo semi pulling a trailer loaded with a rail container, owned by Fly Fast Incorporated out of Bloomingdale, Illinois that contained wheel rims, was driven by Bryant Winfield, 30 of Country Club Hills, Illinois was east bound and in left middle lane and could not avoid the motorcyclist laying in the roadway. Winfield was not injured and no load was loss.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lake County Coroner of blunt force trauma.

Family HAS been notified. Driver has been identified as John Arama, 64 of Valparaiso, Indiana

A 2003 Ford Taurus, driven by Janet Gutierrez, 28 of Tonopah, Arizona was east bound in the left lane when she sideswiped Arama’s Road Hawke motorcycle that had came to a stop in the left lane; as she swerved to the right to avoid the motorcycle she hit the rear of a semi in left middle lane. The semi, a 1998 International pulling a trailer loaded with a rail container loaded with plastic racks, driven by Marko Jovicic, 37 of Indiana Head Park, Illinois was coming from Bedford Park, Illinois going to Grand Rapids, Michigan when it was hit in the rear trailer. Gutierrez and her passenger, Lily Jimenez, 18 of Phoenix, Arizona, were able to escape from the Taurus before it became engulfed by fire. Gutierrez and Jimenez were both taken to North lake Methodist Hospital in Gary with non-life threatening injuries they were both wearing seat belts. The rear half of Jovicic’s load of plastic racks were also damaged by the fire. Jovicic was not injured.

All lanes east bound were diverted off at Burr Street until approximately 7:39 A.M. when they reopened.

Assisting: Senior Trooper Lawrence McFarrin, Troopers Rogelio Escutia, Brandon Henderson and Danielle Elwood, Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Indiana Department of Transportation, Gary Fire and EMS and Prompt Ambulance

State Trooper Confronts Suspected Armed Robber; Suspect is Deceased, Identified (6/17/2013)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:00:01 GMT

Start Date:	6/17/2013	Start Time:	12:00 AM
End Date:	6/17/2013	End Time:	11:59 PM

Daviess County, Montgomery, IN: Shortly after 1:35 this afternoon Tpr. Jarrod Lents, a nine year veteran of the Indiana State Police responded to a report of a disturbance at the Black Oak Armaments Gun Shop located in Montgomery, IN. Preliminary investigation indicates an armed robbery was in progress and gunfire was exchanged between Tpr. Lents and the unnamed suspect.

Indications are Tpr. Lents was struck multiple times, but his injuries were reported as non-life threatening. Tpr. Lents had been transported by medical helicopter to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN.

Trooper Lents has since been released from Deconess Hospital and is now under the care of his family.

The suspect, identified as James D. Jones, 60, of Shoals, IN. died at the scene as a result of the gunfire exchange.

Jones' family has been notified.

This investigation is ongoing.

The Indiana State Police does not take the loss of life lightly. It is regretable the actions of Mr.Jones resulted in his death. The Indiana State Police offers condolences to the extended Jones Family for their loss.

The Indiana State Police also expresses our thanks and gratitude to the public's many expressions of well wishes for the speedy recovery of Trooper Lents.

Incident Location

4739 Highway 50

Montgomery, IN 47558

[ISP] Traffic Stop Leads to Numerous Drug Charges for a Columbus Woman (6/16/2013)

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 04:00:01 GMT

Start Date:	6/16/2013	Start Time:	12:00 AM
End Date:	6/16/2013	End Time:	11:59 PM

Miami County – Recently, a traffic stop by Indiana State Trooper Daniel Prus led to the arrest of Teri Brown, 47, Columbus, IN. Brown was incarcerated in the Miami County Jail to face felony charges for possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of schedule IV prescription narcotics, and possession of hypodermic needles. She also faces two misdemeanor counts for possession of marijuana under 30 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Further investigation revealed that Brown was wanted on a Johnson County, IN, arrest warrant. She allegedly violated probation on charges for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful sale of a legend drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prus came into contact with Brown after having stopped a Chevrolet pickup truck in which she was a passenger. Prus stopped the truck for purportedly traveling 76 miles per hour in a posted 60 miles per hour zone, on northbound U.S. 31 near Miami County Road 1350 North.

During the course of the traffic stop, Prus noticed indicators that criminal activity might be afoot and deployed his narcotics detecting police dog, Zeke, to conduct a free air sniff around the Chevrolet. Zeke gave a positive alert to the odor of illegal narcotics inside the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the pickup truck, officers allegedly found marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription medication, hypodermic needles, and drug paraphernalia. The investigation revealed that the illegal contraband was purportedly possessed by Brown.

The driver of the truck was issued a citation for exceeding the posted speed limit and released.

Trooper Prus was assisted during the traffic stop by Trooper Luke Bowyer and officers from the Miami County Sheriff’s Department.

Citizens are encouraged to call their local law enforcement agencies with any information about the possession, distribution, or selling of illegal narcotics. Information can also be reported anonymously by calling the Indiana State Police Methamphetamine Tip Line at 1-800-453-4756..