Both the east and westbound lanes of the Indiana Toll Road were closed down shortly after 1:00 a.m. today due to a fire at the 58 mile marker in LaPorte County. A semi tractor trailer hauling a flammable liquid caught fire in the west bound lane.
At this time, all lanes of the Indiana Toll Road are open. The lanes were closed close to 12 hours to clean up the area.
A Plymouth man was arrested Saturday after a domestic battery incident.
Plymouth police officers were dispatched to a residence after a call came in about a domestic disturbance. The suspect, Joshua C. Sommers, reportedly left the home. Officers arrived on scene and found a female with wounds. Dispatchers then advised officers that the vehicle Sommers was driving was involved in an accident in the area of 1010 Ferndale Ave.
It was a big night at the Plymouth Speedway Saturday – not only because three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart won a Sprint on Dirt Winged Sprint car event by a narrow victory, but Eric Saunders got to compete in the 600 mini winged sprint event.
Saunders said he’s pretty excited about the opportunity to race, especially since a Motocross accident left him paralyzed. Tony Stewart has helped him in his dream to race. Continue reading
A woman was injured after an accident in Washington Township Wednesday night.
The driver, whose name has not been released, was driving at a high rate of speed on 700 E. just north of 25 N. in Starke County. She reportedly went off the roadway by the Eagle Creek Cemetery and hit the fence. This caused her vehicle to spin around and hit a tree. Her car came to rest against another portion of the cemetery’s fence. She was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital for injuries sustained in the accident and later transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.
A Bass Lake man died Wednesday after being injured in a motorcycle accident.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department determined that William (Bill) Wagner, 55, was on State Road 10 just west of the Bass Lake Beach and went left of center just prior to the start of a curve. The motorcycle then went into a ditch, struck a raised driveway causing it to go airborne. The motorcycle landed on the front wheel and the back went airborne. The driver and the motorcycle then hit a tree.
There’s more to the story of an accident that killed two people on I-94 in LaPorte County this morning.
LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan told WKVI that one victim in the accident, 38-year-old Michael Van Der Linden of Belleville, Michigan was driving the wrong way on I-94 and hit a vehicle driven by 45-year-old Juan Nelson of Portage. The impact caused a fire that consumed both vehicles and left the bodies burned beyond recognition. Sullivan said the cause of death for both victims was blunt force trauma and thermal burns.
As Belleville, Michigan police attempted to notify the family of Michael Van Der Linden of the fatal accident, they observed the door to the family’s home open. When police entered the residence, they found that every member of Michael Van Der Linden’s family were murdered. His wife and children were found stabbed.
Investigators now are trying to piece together why Van Der Linden was in LaPorte County and if he is the suspect in the murder.
The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute announced Wednesday that it will be partnering with Attorney General Greg Zoeller and AT&T in an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving. The Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1129 in 2011, making illegal the practice of texting while driving.
Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Traffic Safety Division Director Ryan Klitzsch says this important piece of legislation has already saved lives and is an important step in efforts to ensure the safety of all Hoosier motorists.
Health officials have announced that four human cases of West Nile virus statewide, with cases reported in Hamilton, Marion, and Jackson counties. While no cases have been confirmed in LaPorte, Starke, Marshall, Pulaski, or other nearby counties, Hoosiers are still encouraged to take steps to protect themselves from West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne viruses. Transmission of the virus within the mosquito population is currently much higher than in previous years: so far in 2012, mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found in 62 Indiana counties.
State health officials recommend Hoosiers avoid places where mosquitoes are biting; apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus to clothes and exposed skin; install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home; and, when possible, wear pants and long sleeves.
State health officials have confirmed more than 100 cases of the variant influenza A virus in 18 counties throughout Indiana, with more cases expected to be confirmed as state and local health officials continue to investigate the outbreak.
One hundred eighteen Variant influenza A cases have been confirmed in the following counties: Bartholomew, Greene, Hamilton, Hendricks, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Porter, Scott, Tipton, Washington, and White. No cases have been reported in Starke, Pulaski, or Marshall counties as of yet.
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department investigated a two vehicle accident at Highway 421 and State Road 14 shortly before Noon yesterday.
A semi driven by John Kamien of Kansas was traveling south on Highway 421 and came upon a car turning left on State Road 14. The semi truck driver went around the vehicle and ran into a car driven by Wendy Wempler who turned into the path of the semi off of State Road 14. Wempler was severely injured at the scene and was airlifted from the scene to a nearby hospital. The responding officer wasn’t able to get any details from Wempler’s perspective of the accident due to her injuries.
A LaPorte man was killed in a Toll Road accident late last night.
Ryan Joseph Smith, 20, of LaPorte was northbound on Holmsville Road in LaPorte County when for unknown reasons, he drove off the overpass. His vehicle went airborne and struck a semi pulling a box trailer on Interstate 80. Smith’s vehicle then rolled multiple times through the median. Smith was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle continued into the westbound lanes where it struck another semi.
A Huntley, Illinois man died after a boating accident in Marshall County.
Around 5:15 p.m. ET Sunday, Roger A. Martin was in a boat with family members on Lake Latonka when the boat made a sharp turn causing Martin to fall overboard. The driver of the boat was making the turn to pick up a family member who had fallen off a large rubber tube that was being towed behind the boat. Martin was hit by a propeller after falling into the water.
The Indiana State Fair continues today, having had its first full day on Friday.
At 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1 p.m., the Mapapa African Acrobats will be performing at the Free Stage, and at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4 p.m., Bixby’s Rainforest Rescue will be presented by Indiana WIC and the State Breastfeeding Coalition at the Family Fun Park.
WKVI’s first-ever live Thursday Night Sports Talk broadcast went off without a hitch yesterday evening. Harold and Nathan Welter gathered area coaches, players, and other officials at the Country Kettle Restaurant in Knox for the live broadcast to discuss the progress of local teams and get their opinions on the season.
WKVI would like to thank Pat Mitchell and Brett Hansen of the Country Kettle Restaurant for allowing the sports crew to do their first one-hour live broadcast at their restaurant.
Pictured below is a slideshow of the event.
An alleged battery incident occurred yesterday in the North Judson area.
Angela Schwei and another woman were reportedly engaged in a verbal argument in the Burger King restaurant on Talmer Avenue and were told to leave. They went out in the parking lot and the argument escalated. Schwei allegedly got out a sharp object and slashed the victim on the leg, causing a gash.
HealthLinc, Inc. hosted a Back to School Health and Wellness Fair yesterday afternoon at the Knox HealthLinc Clinic. Uninsured and underinsured children were able to receive immunizations and sports physicals for the start of the school year.
HealthLinc Site Manager, Angie Gardner talks about other activities during yesterday’s event.
A two vehicle accident occurred at the intersection of Culver Road and Main Street in Knox yesterday afternoon. While no specific information has been given about the accident, it is known that one of the vehicles involved ran the stop light at the intersection. No injuries were reported. Continue reading
Patrick Bauer was voted out as the Indiana House Minority Leader in a caucus Thursday afternoon. State Representative Nancy Dembowski participated in the caucus and talked about the discussion.
“I was in attendance at the caucus and we met with the intent to discuss what type of leadership is needed to best serve our constituents, our districts and the State of Indiana in the future and as we move forward,” said Dembowski.
Linda Lawson was voted in as the Interim Leader by a majority vote. She will serve in the interim position until the General Election in November.
The tower at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department sustained damage in yesterday’s storms and crews are on the scene repairing that damage.
“The wind took out the first 60 or 80 feet of the tower, it totally bent it over,” said Starke County Commissioner Dan Bridegroom. “What we’re going to do today (Wednesday) is try to remove the antennas that were on the tower and then take about a 60 foot section off the tower and see if we can replace the antennas to get the coverage throughout the county. This will be the remedy until we get a new tower.”
Four people were sickened at the LaPorte County Fair after reportedly coming in direct contact with swine.
Confirmed test results on patient specimens indicate the cause as a variant influenza A virus. Influenza virus specimens from swine also tested positive for this virus.
