Stephanie Leann Norman

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to technicalities, the accident report has not yet been completed as information on Stephanie Leann Norman, the alleged driver needs verification before the state’s accident report system will accept the report.)

WARSAW — An accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, in front of NAPA on North Detroit Street. But the driver was no where to be found when police arrived. She was found shortly after the accident and was arrested later that evening on numerous preliminary charges.

Charges were officially filed against Stephanie Leann Norman, 19, 741 E. Center St., Warsaw, Friday, Jan. 15, in Kosciusko Circuit Court. Charges filed are: possession of methamphetamine, possession of a syringe, both level 6 felonies; leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, a class A misdemeanor; and possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor.

Court documents show when Warsaw City Police Officer Ross Minear arrived at the accident scene, he found a brown 1996 Mercury minivan and a blue 1999 Saturn had collided. He spoke with Travis J. Johnson, a passenger who did not know what had happened, nor who was operating the vehicle. He was taken to the hospital for a laceration to his head.

Because the driver was not present, Minear began a search of the vehicle looking for insurance and registration information, as well as any identifying information regarding who the driver may have been. While he was looking in the vehicle, he located a bag containing marijuana, and a small clear plastic bag with white residue. He also found a cell phone, a temporary driver’s license belonging to Johnson, a black zip case containing a spoon with five hypodermic needles, three plastic bags with a white residue, a large clear plastic bag and two smaller plastic bags with a green leafy substance, a clear glass smoking device, a prescription pill bottle containing two different pills and mail addressed to Johnson and Norman.

The green leafy substance, identified as marijuana, had a total weight of 86.3 grams, packaged as if ready to sell. A field test of the powdery residue was positive for methamphetamine.

Witnesses to the accident, and the driver of the mini-van, told police the Saturn drove up beside the mini-van in the left hand lane and turned into the mini-van causing the accident. They also told police there were two individuals in the Saturn and the driver, a female, ran away from the scene. The male stayed at the scene.

When police located Norman they found she had been injured in the accident.

She admitted to police she was the driver and that Johnson and she had been injecting meth to get high all day. She also allegedly admitted the marijuana belonged to Johnson and thought there were pounds of marijuana in the vehicle. Police were told Johnson was passing out because he was very high and she intentionally swerved into the path of the other vehicles.

She was held on a $5,000 surety and $250 cash bond.