Area Accident Reports
Kosciusko County
Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office investigated the following accidents:
- 5:38 a.m. Feb. 19, 3351 South SR 19, near Mentone. Driver: Tabitha Bunch, 21, Eden St., Elkhart. Bunch lost control of her vehicle on icy pavement and struck a trash can and a vehicle parked in the driveway. The unoccupied vehicle is registered to Stephanie Shull, South SR 19, Mentone. Damage up to $5,000.
- 9:52 a.m. Feb. 19, US 30 near North CR 350W, near Warsaw. Driver: Leah Young, 30, South Main Street, Bourbon. Young’s vehicle was traveling east on the highway when she lost control and drove into the median. Damage up to $5,000.
- 4:20 p.m. Feb. 19, East Crooked Mile Road near Syracuse. Drivers: Keith Brown, 63, East CR 800S, Claypool; Jon Gray, 44, East Sleepy Hollow Parkway, Cromwell. Brown said he was reaching for something which caused him to cross the center line and strike an oncoming vehicle. Damage up to $10,000.
- 8:39 p.m. Feb. 19, North CR 650W, north of CR 100N near Warsaw. Driver: Christopher Koldyke, 34, West Crystal Lake Road, Warsaw. Koldyke’s vehicle collided with a deer. Damage up to $10,000.
- 1 p.m. Feb. 20, Apple Road near Tippecanoe in Marshall County. Driver: Pamela Miller, 65, of Apple Road. Her vehicle left the road and hit a pole. Damage up to $5,000.
- 10:43 p.m. Feb. 20, East Old Road 30 west of South Robinson Lake Road, near Pierceton. Driver: Roger Gum, SR 5, Cromwell. Gum’s vehicle hit a deer. Damage up to $5,000.
- 2:38 p.m. Feb. 21, East CR 800S, east of South CR 300E near Claypool. Driver: Sara Shepherd, 29, Carrington Boulevard, Warsaw. Shepherd said she hit some standing water and lost control of the vehicle, which then left the roadway. Damage up to $10,000.
- 4:30 p.m. Feb. 21, in a parking lot at 8277 E. US 30, near Pierceton. Two police vehicles collided in a parking lot while involved in a police pursuit. Drivers: Jospeh Bumbaugh, 59, a Winona Lake resident with the Winona Lake Police Department; Andrew Westerman, 46, a North Webster resident working for the Whitley County Sheriff’s Office. Bumbaugh was backing up and did not see the other vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.
- 1:31 a.m. Feb. 22, SR 19, south of CR 200S. Driver: Dylan Tharp, 21, West State Street, Etna Green. Tharp lost control of his vehicle and it struck a pole. Damage up to $10,000.
Warsaw
Officers with the Warsaw Police Department investigated the following accidents:
- 7:57 a.m. Feb. 19, East Center Street, west of North McKinley St., Warsaw. Drivers: Robin Askins, 71, North Lincoln Park, Warsaw; Christy Thomas, 32, of Tuscany Crossing, Winona Lake. Askins’ view of Center Street was obscured by snow as she left a car wash and attempted to enter Center Street. His vehicle struck another driven by Thomas, who was traveling west on Center. The driver and two children were uninjured. Damage up to $2,500.
- 8:36 a.m. Feb. 19, East Center Street and North Scott Street in Warsaw. Drivers: Jack Karas, 56, Shady Brook Court, Waxhaw, N.C.; Jim Mohr, 65, Rampart Driver, Fort Wayne. Karas said his vehicle could not stop and rear-ended a vehicle stopped ahead of him and driven by Mohr.
- 11:50 a.m. Feb. 19, South Hickory Street, just north of East Market Street in Warsaw. Driver: Courtney Hiatt, 26, of North CR 900W, Cromwell. Hiatt was attempting to park along Hickory and thought there was enough room for a train to get by. The Norfolk Southern train was advancing from behind and struck the vehicle and kept traveling. Hiatt said she tried to pull up into a snowbank, but it was not enough. Damage up to $2,500.
- 5:19 p.m. Feb. 21, East Winona Avenue near SR 15. Drivers: Richard Piper, 64, North Morgan Street, Mentone, and Jose Alvarez, 19, West Winona Avenue, Warsaw. Piper was stopped for a passing train and tried to back up. In doing so, his vehicle hit Alvarez’s vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.
Mentone
Officers with the Mentone Police Department investigated the following accident:
- 12:28 p.m. Feb. 18, South Tucker Street, south of West Jefferson Street. Drivers: Corbin Hudson, 28, East SR 15, Akron; Deborah Leal, 42, West Pearl Street, Mentone; and Don Craig, 75, of North CR 825E, Mentone. A snowplow owned by the town of Mentone and driven by Hudson lost control on ice and struck a vehicle driven by Leal. The impact then caused Leal’s vehicle to strike one driven by Craig. Damage up to $25,000.