A trial is scheduled for a man who has pleaded not guilty to eight charges stemming from an incident in Starke County on Oct. 16, 2009.
Dale Hite was present for his pretrial motions and instructions hearing Tuesday, where he faces charges of Resisting Law Enforcement Resulting in Death, two counts of Reckless Homicide, and counts of Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Methamphetamine, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign and Failure to Use Headlights from Sunset to Sunrise.
When officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were investigating a report of manufacturing methamphetamine, a vehicle approached the residence they were checking out and immediately sped off. Officers followed the vehicle, but its headlights turned off shortly before the vehicle went off the road, crashing into some trees at 124 mph, police say.
Two passengers died in the crash, and Dale Hite was airlifted from the scene. Police reportedly found methamphetamine in Hite’s pockets, and it was later determined that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Hite’s jury trial will be held today by Judge Kim Hall in the Starke Circuit Court at 9 a.m.
