Motorcyclist Airlifted Following Monday Night Collision On SR 15
Staff Report
WARSAW — A motorcyclist was airlifted Monday, Aug. 9, due to injuries he received in an accident involving a Harley Davidson and a Nissan Rogue at the intersection of SR 15 and East Main Street in Warsaw.
The collision occurred just before 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9.
Warsaw Police Department and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene where the driver of the motorcycle, Stephen L. Yeazel, 71, Wexford Place, Warsaw, was found lying unconscious in the roadway.
The driver of the Nissan Rogue was identified as Aswin S. Krishnan, 25, Collins Drive, Warsaw.
According to the initial police report, Krishnan said he was driving north on SR 15 near the Main Street intersection. He said as he approached the intersection, the traffic light turned red abruptly. Krishnan said he applied his brakes in an attempt to stop but was unable to. His vehicle struck the left side of Yeazel’s vehicle in the intersection. Krishnan said he was not on his phone.
A passenger in Krishnan’s vehicle, Suman Radhakrishna, 25, Chamberlin Drive, Warsaw, said he was riding in the front seat. He said as Krishnan entered the intersection, the light was red and that Krishnan attempted to stop. Radhakrishna stated that Krishnan was not on his phone.
Several witnesses offered insights regarding the collision. One witness was at the traffic light on Main Street facing east at the SR 15 intersection. The witness said their in-car camera recorded the incident. The witness said the traffic signal for northbound traffic turned red and the signal for east/west traffic turned green and that approximately six seconds passed between the light change and the time Krishnan entered the intersection. The witness said Krishnan was holding a cell phone in his left hand and was still holding it after the crash occurred.
Another witness was stopped at the traffic light facing south on SR 15 near the Main Street intersection. This witness said the north/south traffic signal was red so they came to a stop. The witness said they were stopped for a long time when Krishnan’s vehicle entered the intersection. The witness said Krishnan disregarded the traffic signal and struck the motorcycle.
A third witness was in the right turn lane facing west on Main Street. The witness said they were talking to Yeazel at the red light before the east/west traffic signals turned green. The witness said after their light turned green, his passenger observed Krishnan’s vehicle traveling into the intersection; however, it was too late to alert Yeazel.
The FACT team was contacted in regard to this accident.
The police report indicates the motorcycle had a large crack and indentation on the right side of the windshield as well as moderate damage to the right headlight area and the left side. Yeazel was airlifted to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne due to his injuries.
Krishnan was cited for disregarding a traffic signal. He was taken to the hospital for a consensual blood draw and then released.