A higher volume of traffic will be hitting the roads this Memorial Day holiday. Be aware that the police will be patrolling the highways for drivers who may be impaired, following too closely or may be unrestrained.
Indiana State Police officers and 249 other law enforcement agencies in the state are in the midst of the Click it or Ticket campaign. This enforcement focuses on seat belt usage and will be in full effect this weekend. It continues until June 1.
The Indiana State Police will be out in full force beginning Friday, May 9 for the Click it or Ticket seat belt enforcement campaign. The enforcement will continue until June 1.
More than 250 law enforcement agencies in Indiana will conduct special controls to identify and ticket unrestrained drivers and passengers. The focus will be on the Memorial Day weekend.
A two-vehicle wreck just before 11 a.m. on U.S. 35 just south of U.S. 30 sent the driver of one of the cars to the hospital. According to witnesses, the driver of the green Pontiac Sunfire did not stop when she came off the ramp from U.S. 30 onto U.S. 35. Her car hit the left side of a Chrysler Town and Country minivan owned by Braman and Son Memorial Chapel. It was northbound on 35 when the crash occurred. The Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Hamlet Police Department and Indiana State Police all responded. The driver of the Pontiac was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital by ambulance. There’s no word yet on the extent of her injuries or her name.
A farmer helped an Indiana State Police trooper make an arrest last week.
A trooper spotted an erratic driver in Kosciusko County and a chase ensued. The suspect was able to get away but the trooper later saw the suspect’s vehicle parked in a driveway at 4985 N. 920 W. in Etna Green. The officer exited his car and found the suspect running through a farm field. The trooper returned to his car and paralleled the man on 400 North as the man began to run faster through the field.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
All motorists and motorcyclists are reminded to share the road and to practice safe driving habits. Motor vehicle operators are urged to be aware of motorcycles especially at intersections and while making turns and lane changes. As it is difficult to accurately judge the time, speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle, make sure you check the position of an oncoming motorcycle two or three times before driving through an intersection or making a turn.
A Logansport woman faces numerous drug charges in Starke County following a traffic stop late last week by a LaPorte County Deputy and Indiana State Trooper on U.S. 35 near Hamlet. The deputy pulled Kelly A. Koranda, 36, of Logansport, over just south of Starke County Road 500 North on Thursday, April 24 for an unspecified traffic infraction. According to a news release sent this afternoon by the Indiana State Police, Koranda appeared to be under the influence of drugs and was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital for blood and urine tests.A nurse there reportedly found several packets of heroin in Koranda’s underwear. Officers say she admitted eating 10 packets of the drug before being pulled over and hiding more in her underwear. They recovered 172 baggies of heroin weighing about 36 grams from Koranda. She was admitted to the hospital for observation. Officers arrested her there Sunday when she was released. She’s charged with felony dealing a narcotic drug, felony possession of a narcotic drug over 3 grams, felony maintaining a common nuisance and misdemeanor operating while intoxicated on a controlled substance. Koranda was taken to the Starke County Jail.
The Indiana State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be collecting unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs at any state police post on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. The state police toll road post will not be able to accept these items.
With the start of spring, road construction projects are ready to begin.
This week is Work Zone Awareness Week in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Transportation is dedicated to continuously improving work zone safety and crews and motorists need to make highway work zones as safe as possible.
This year’s national theme is “Work Zone Speeding: A Costly Mistake”. Motorists can face fines up to $1,000 for speeding and up to $5,000 for driving recklessly through work zones. Fines are used to fund additional Indiana State Police work zone patrols and promote public safety.
A single-vehicle crash Monday evening near Grovertown claimed a Plymouth woman’s life. Cathryn Ellison, 24, of Plymouth, was westbound on 300 North just west of 1100 East, lost control of her vehicle and was ejected, according to information provided this morning by the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a report of a vehicle in a ditch. Ellison was trapped underneath it. Starke County Chief Deputy Coroner Doug O’Donnell pronounced her dead at the scene. Her official cause of death is listed as traumatic asphyxiation. Coroner Kris Rannells tells WKVI news that means the weight of the vehicle on top of her would not allow her to breathe. The Hamlet Police Department, Koontz Lake, Hamlet and Washington Township Fire Departments and the Indiana State Police assisted the Starke County Sheriff’s Office at the scene. The Indiana State Police will be reconstructing the crash.
A Hope, Indiana man was arrested in Argos on Sunday, March 30 on a charge of Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon and Creating a Substantial Risk of Bodily Injury.
Officers from the Argos Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Indiana State Police were called to the McDonald’s restaurant in Argos in reference to gunfire. Police learned that 21-year-old David J. Boston was in the men’s bathroom when a handgun reportedly accidentally discharged. The bullet from the gun went through the wall of the men’s bathroom and through the wall of the women’s bathroom. The bullet lodged in a beam in the common area of the BP gas station and the restaurant.
A pair of Culver women face multiple felony charges in Marshall County after police officers from three departments followed up on a tip about a stolen car and a woman with an outstanding warrant. On Friday officers from the Indiana State Police, Culver Police and Marshall County Sheriff’s Department checked 624 Forest Place, Apartment 3A in Culver and found the stolen 2002 Chevrolet Malibu in the parking lot. They spoke to a resident of the apartment, Courtney M. Owens, 25. She gave them permission to search the apartment for the fugitive. Officers found Kayla J. Belue, 24, hiding under a bed, according to information provided by the Indiana State Police. Continue reading
Officers from the Marshall County Police Department and Indiana State Police arrested seven adults after reportedly breaking up an underage drinking party early Sunday morning. They got a tip about the party taking place at a residence in the 13-thousand block of 2A Road in Plymouth, according to a department news release and arrived just before 2 a.m. Officers found seven underage adults and three juveniles drinking at the residence, according to the police report, which also notes there was evidence of marijuana use inside the residence. The seven underage adults were all arrested on a misdemeanor charge of illegal consumption of alcohol. They are: Zachary Hostetler, 18 of Plymouth; Rex Budzielek, 18, of Lakeville; Howard Borton, 18, of Lakeville; Tyler Thompson, 19, of Lakeville; Jordan Hoober, 18, of Plymouth; Gage Chapman, 19, of Mishawaka; and Devin Johnson, 19, of Plymouth. Authorities called the parents of the three juveniles involved and asked them to pick up their children. Police reports were forwarded to the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office and Marshall County Probation Department for further juvenile proceedings.
The Indiana State Police are looking for information about a car crash late last year in Starke County. Specifically they are looking for people who may have seen the early morning crash near Grovertown on Dec. 10. An Oldsmobile Alero was left unattended along County Road 1100 East about 630 feet north of County Road 300 North on the east side of the roadway after striking several large fence posts, according to information released by the state police. Witnesses say at least two vehicles drove by after the crash occurred. One of these vehicles may have been a large white straight truck or other large vehicle. The second vehicle may have been driven by a person named “Ray” or “Raymond” that picked up two individuals that were walking in the area. This vehicle purportedly broke down shortly thereafter. Continue reading
A Rochester man whose car plunged into the icy Tippecanoe River late Wednesday afternoon in Fulton County was pulled safely from the water. DNR officials responded to the Menominee Public Access Site and found Joshua Sexton on top of his car. Officers from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the cause of the crash and believe alcohol may have been a factor. The Rochester Fire Department and Indiana State Police also assisted with the rescue.
The entities have partnered to award $5,000 in scholarships to students who compose the most creative, inspiring and viral posts on Twitter, Instagram or Vine using the slogan “Drive Now. TXT L8R.” The high school and college student whose post has the most tweets, retweets and favorites on Twitter will win. For Vine and Instagram entries, the most likes and the most creative will win.
A pair of Indiana State Police Troopers from Pulaski County are among those from the Lowell Post recently recognized for service milestones. Master Trooper Rick Hudson was recognized for 20 years of service to ISP. Master Trooper Barney Rausch was recognized for 900,000 safe driving miles. ISP employees are recognized for years of service every five years. Troopers are recognized for safe driving starting at 50,000 miles.
An Argos man is back in jail after an unannounced Wednesday visit from the Indiana State Police and Marshall County Probation Department. They found Jeremy Hill, 31, at a home at 115 W. Williams St. in Argos and arrested him on a warrant. While searching the home, officers reportedly found several meth labs and drug paraphernalia. The home is located within 1,000 feet of a public park, which elevates the offense to a Class A felony. Hill faces several charges including manufacturing methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a park, possession of methamphetamine, possession of precursors, and probation violation.
Many roads are clear, but a few isolated slick spots remain after blustery, intense winter weather graced the Kankakee Valley with large amounts of snowfall. The Indiana State Police advise all drivers to leave sooner and expect travel time to be twice as long as normal, to drive slower, and to increase the following distance between you and the vehicle in front of you by at least five times greater than normal. In addition, they urge drivers to approach intersections with great care as other drivers not paying attention will slide through red lights, and signal all lane changes and turning movements. If there are chips or cracks in your windshield, this is also a great time for an auto glass replacement to ensure that you have an unobstructed view of the road.
