Area Accident Reports
KOSCIUSKO
Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department investigated the following accidents:
2:10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, West 25S, near South CR 950W. Driver: Chad E. Hedington, 25, West Quad Street, Bourbon. Hedington was driving south on CR 950E when he attempted to make a left turn. Due to the ice covered roadway, Hedington’s vehicle left the road and struck several small trees. Damage up to $5,000.
10:37 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, North CR 850E, south of EMS R2 Lane. Driver: Dustin E. Kreft, 27, South Beaver Dam Road, Claypool. KCSD Reserve Officer Kreft was driving north on CR 850E, heading to assist an officer on a residential alarm when a deer ran into the roadway. His vehicle struck the deer. Damage up to $10,000.
1:50 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, East US 30, east of South CR 900E. Driver: Anthony C. Lillard, 41, West 84th Street, Chicago, Illinois. Lillard was driving east on US 30 when due to the ice covered roadway, his vehicle spun out of control. Lillard’s vehicle left the south side of the road, entered the ditch and struck a speed limit sign. Damage up to $10,000.
12:12 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, East US 30, west of South CR 900E. Driver: Amy M. Westafer, 32, West Maple Lane, Kendallville. Westafer was driving east on US 30. Because of the icy road, Westafer lost control of her vehicle and went off the south side of the roadway, striking a fence. Damage up to $2,500.
11:42 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, East US 30, west of South CR 900E. Driver: David F. Flores, 59, South SR 205, Columbia City. Flores was driving east on US 30 when he lost control of his vehicle on the ice covered roadway. Flores’ vehicle left the south side of US 30 and stopped, laying on the driver’s side. Damage up to $5,000.
10:56 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, East Old Road 30, near South SR13. Driver: Zachary M. Gray, 23, East 225 S 15, Winona Lake. Gray was driving east on Old Road 30 when a pick up truck driving west turned in front of him, going into the parking lot of a Marathon gas station. Gray slammed on his brakes to avoid colliding with the vehicle, sliding into the parking lot of the gas station and striking a parked and unoccupied vehicle. Damage up to $5,000.
10:12 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, North CR 650E, north of East CR 200N. Drivers: Terry J. Grenawalt, 43, South Harrison Street 2, Fort Wayne, and Jennifer L. Kellogg, 30, East CR 500N, Leesburg. Grenawalt was backing out of a driveway with a semi tractor trailer. He said he didn’t see any traffic coming, but Grenawalt backed into Kellogg’s line of travel. Kellogg tried to avoid a collision, but the front of her vehicle struck the passenger side of Grenawalt’s vehicle. Before the collision, police received calls regarding the trailer obstructing traffic, advising that Grenawalt didn’t place safety cones out until after the collision. Kellogg was transported to the Kosciusko Community Hospital Emergency Department. Damage up to $10,000.
11:42 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, East Old Road 30, near North CR 450E. Driver: Benjamin R. Moore, 20, East Waco Drive, Syracuse. Moore was driving east on Old Road 30 when a deer entered the roadway. Moore’s vehicle was unable to avoid striking the deer. Damage up to $2,500.
10:01 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, South SR15, north of West CR 1300S. Driver: Shalee R. Phipps, 25, West CR 950S, Silver Lake. Phipps was driving south on SR15 when a deer entered the roadway. Phipps’ vehicle was unable to avoid striking the deer. Damage up to $5,000.
12:41 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, North CR 800E, near East McClintic Road. Drivers: Damien X. Rodriguez, 17, East Circle Drive North, Syracuse, and Amy N. Johnson, 31, West CR 200N, Cromwell. Rodriguez was driving west on McClintic Road when he began to make a turn but lost control of his vehicle due to slush on the roadway. The front driver’s side of Rodriguez’s vehicle slid into the front driver’s side of Johnson’s vehicle. Damage up to $10,000.
4:39 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, East Old Road 30, west of South Robinson Lake Road. Driver: Karen J. Luehrs, 58, South State Road 5 57, Pierceton. Luehrs was driving east on Old Road 30 when a herd of deer ran out in front of her. The front of Luehrs’ vehicle struck one deer, and another ran into the front right of the vehicle. Damage up to $1,000.
WARSAW
Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:
8:03 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, 2511 East Center Street. Drivers: Justin D. Penrod, 36, North Ellsworth Street, Warsaw, and Daniel A. Balderas, 36, East Boulder Drive, Warsaw. Penrod was backing out of a parking space at Papa John’s, not realizing that Balderas’ vehicle was parked behind him. Penrod’s vehicle struck the right center of Balderas’ vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.
1:46 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, East Market Street, west of South Court Street. Driver: Thomas G. Seaberg, 42, West Kingfisher Drive, Mentone. Seaberg was riding on a moped. A witness said she saw Seaberg look over his shoulder at something when the vehicle flipped onto its side, leading to Seaberg sustaining a head injury. Seaberg was transported to Fort Wayne St. Lutheran Hospital. Damage under $750.
12:57 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, North Harrison Street, near East Center Street. Drivers: Max Sherman, 86, East Wildwood Drive, Warsaw, and John L. Bazzoni, 47, Westwood Road, Winona Lake. Sherman was stopped at a red light when he decided at last second that he wanted to turn right onto East Center Street. When the light changed, Sherman began to turn and didn’t notice Bazzoni’s vehicle in the right turn lane next to him. The passenger’s side of Sherman’s vehicle struck the front driver’s side of Bazzoni’s vehicle. Damage up to $5,000.
11:17 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, US 30, near Old Road 30. Drivers: Danielle N. Harris, 26, West CR 100S, Warsaw, and Tylene R. Wadkins, 18, Clinic CT, Warsaw. Harris was driving west on US 30 when she stopped in the left turn lane at the red light. When the light changed, Harris attempted to turn, but her vehicle began to slide, hitting Wadkins’ vehicle. Watkins was turning left from eastbound US 30. The roadway was slick due to slush. Damage up to $10,000.