Area Accident Reports
Kosciusko
Officers from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office investigated the following accidents:
12:01 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, East CR 1350N, east of North CR 1000E, Syracuse. Driver: Riley S. McFarren, 23, West Highland Drive, Ligonier. McFarren told police he was driving his vehicle east on CR 1350N when he swerved his vehicle to avoid a deer, causing his vehicle to leave the roadway and strike a mail box. Damage up to $10,000.
7:06 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, East Pierceton Road, west of South CR 600E, Pierceton. Drivers: Glen D. Chupp, 20, North CR 900W, Nappanee; Edward J. Frost, 51, East Pierceton Road, Warsaw. Police said Chupp was driving his vehicle east on Pierceton Road and attempted to pass on a double yellow line, causing his vehicle to collide with the vehicle driven by Frost. Chupp was transported to a Fort Wayne hospital for immediate medical treatment. Damage up to $25,000.
4:54 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, East Old Road 30, Pierceton. Drivers: Judith M. Koziol, 71, Ravinia Drive, Valparaiso; Robert F. Bowling, 48, Flutter Road, Fort Wayne. Police said Koziol was driving her vehicle north on SR 13 and approached stopped traffic, but could not stop before her vehicle rear-ended the vehicle driven by Bowling. Damage up to $10,000.
12:59 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, East US 30 and South SR 13, Pierceton. Drivers: Benjamin D. Kalinowski, 31, Messner Drive, Hilliard, Ohio; Holly N. Young, 25, North Peters Street, Garrett. Kalinowski told police he was driving his vehicle east on US 30 and could not stop before rear-ending the vehicle driven by Young. Damage up to $2,500.
11:54 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, South CR 800W, north of West Shilling Road, Mentone. Driver: Maegan A. Gail-Hughes, 28, West CR 200S, Warsaw. Gail-Hughes told police she was driving her vehicle south on CR 800W and attempted to avoid a deer that was in the road, causing her vehicle to leave the roadway and become partially submerged in a swamp. Damage up to $10,000.
6:48 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, North CR 475E, north of East CR 300N, Warsaw. Driver: MacKenzie K. Merchant, 21, East Old Road 30, Warsaw. Merchant told police she was driving her vehicle north on CR 475E when a tire came off an oncoming vehicle, striking her vehicle in the front bumper area. Damage up to $10,000.
2:12 P.M. Saturday, Aug. 3, East Center Street, west of South Wood Street, Warsaw. Drivers: Ariel A. Moncaida, 17, North Parker Street, Warsaw; Louise Hopkins, 77, North Colfax Street, Warsaw; Alan Blakeley, 58, North West Street, Warsaw. All three vehicles were eastbound on Center Street. Hopkins and Blakeley both began slowing their vehicles down and Moncaida did not see them in time, causing him to strike the vehicle driven by Hopkins in the rear and pushing her vehicle into the vehicle driven by Blakeley. Damage up to $25,000.
11:22 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, North SR 13, north of EMS B21 Lane, Warsaw. Driver: Charles L. Kreider, 29, Wooster Road, Winona Lake. Both Kreider and a witness told police that a vehicle pulled out in front of the vehicle driven by Kreider and that he tried to avoid a collision, causing his vehicle and trailer to leave the roadway and strike a utility pole. Kreider was wanted on multiple warrants and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital prior to being taken to Kosciusko County Jail. Damage up to $10,000.
9:46 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, North CR 500E, north of East CR 1000N, Syracuse. Driver: Delaney M. Hare, 16, East CR 900N, Syracuse. Hare told police she was driving her vehicle south on CR 500E when a deer entered the roadway. She told police she was unable to avoid hitting the deer with her vehicle. Damage up to $5,000.
8:47 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, Crystal Lake Road, east of Zimmer Road, Warsaw. Driver: Angie Sanchez, 19, North CR 175 East, Warsaw. Sanchez told police she was driving her vehicle west on Crystal Lake Road when her tires went off the roadway, causing her to lose control of her vehicle, which left the roadway and turned onto its side. Police reported Sanchez did not have a license and that she had never had one. Damage up to $5,000.
6:07 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, East US 30, north of South CR 900E, Pierceton. Drivers: Taylor O. Baker, 24, East CR 150S, Pierceton; Makaila M. Boxley, 18, East Center Street, Warsaw. Police said Baker was in her vehicle in the median of US 30 waiting to turn west. When she turned, her vehicle struck the vehicle driven by Boxley. Damage up to $2,500.
2:37 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, North CR 600E, north of East Old Road 30, Pierceton. Driver: Brandi N. Couch, 25, North CR 700E, Leesburg. Couch told police she was driving northbound on CR 600E, and turned her vehicle around to follow the vehicle driven by her male friend who had taken the memory card from her phone. She said she made a U-turn and, due to the dust, lost control of her vehicle, causing it leave the roadway and strike a utility pole. Couch told police she was under influence of methamphetamine and heroin and that she was not wearing her seatbelt. She agreed to a blood draw and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital for treatment of her injuries, which were to her pelvis and abdomen. Damage up to $25,000.
2:24 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, East CR 500N, west of EMS T7 Lane, North Webster. Drivers: Chase J. Rookstool, 21, Hidden Hills Drive, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Evan P. Gregory, 17, East CR 450N, Leesburg; Robert J. Phillippe, 60, North CR 300E, Leesburg. All three vehicles were eastbound on CR 500N. Gregory and Phillippe both stopped their vehicles and Rookstool did not see them in time, causing him to strike the vehicle driven by Gregory in the rear and pushing that vehicle into the vehicle driven by Phillippe. Damage up to $25,000.
Claypool
Officers from the Claypool Police Department investigated the following accident:
12:10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, South SR 19, north of West CR 1000S, Akron. Driver: Shannon L. Nevil, 45, McCoy Drive, Churubusco. Nevil was riding his motorcycle northbound on SR 19 when his tires went off the roadway, causing him to lose control of the motorcycle. Nevil sustained road rash to his back, neck and arm, but refused transport to the hospital. Damage up to $10,000.
Syracuse
Officers from the Syracuse Police Department investigated the following accident:
10:24 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, South Huntington Street, Syracuse. Driver: Matthew S. Spencer, 31, South CR 700W, Amboy. Spencer told police he was turning into a parking lot and was not paying attention, causing him to turn his vehicle into a parked vehicle. Damage up to $2,500.