Charges have been filed against two individuals involved in a road rage incident along Interstate 65 last Friday that resulted in one person being shot near Henryville.

30-year-old Kasey Haven of Salem and 64-year-old Ricky Hill of Henryville were in a sideswipe collision while traveling northbound on Interstate 65 near the 16-mile marker on December 6, around 2:00 PM.

Both Haven, driving a Ford Bronco, and Hill, driving a Chrysler Town and Country, did not pull over, and instead made gestures at each other and displayed a firearm to one another while continuing to drive north.

Haven and Hill stopped on the off-ramp of Interstate 65 at the 19-mile marker (Henryville exit), exited their vehicles and confronted one another.

State Police detectives believe Haven pointed her handgun at Hill and fired four times at him, striking him once in the arm.

Hill was transported to University of Louisville Hospital and treated for the gunshot wound.

Haven was detained at the scene and later transported to the State Police Post in Sellersburg to be interviewed. As a result of an intensive investigation, she was charged with numerous charges related to the shooting and transported to the Clark County Jail.

An arrest warrant was filed through the Clark County Circuit Court for Hill. He was arrested this afternoon at his home in Henryville for charges related to the incident and was transported to the Clark County Jail.

Arrested and Charged were:

Kasey Haven, 30, Salem, Indiana
Aggravated Battery, Level 3 Felony
Battery with a Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, Level 6 Felony
Pointing a Firearm at Another Person, Level 6 Felony
Aggressive Driving, Class A Misdemeanor

Ricky Hill, 64, Henryville, Indiana
Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon, Level 5 Felony
Aggressive Driving, Class A Misdemeanor

An early Thursday morning, high-speed pursuit ended with the arrest of two Illinois women after the vehicle failed to stop on I-65.  

Around 1:20 Thursday morning, Trooper Wyatt Madden observed a Ford Mustang traveling at high speeds on I-65 southbound near the 12.5 mile marker. Trooper Madden clocked the vehicle at 90mph in a posted 70mph zone and attempted a traffic stop; however, the vehicle accelerated as it continued southbound. The Mustang reached 130mph before eventually coming to a stop near the 9.5 mile marker where Trooper Madden attempted to contact the driver. The driver then sped off from the scene and exited onto U.S. 31 northbound from the Sellersburg exit.

The driver, later identified as Lux Espranza Arellano, 22, of Saint Charles, Illinois, disregarded stop signs and traffic lights along U.S. 31 as she continued northbound. Arellano continued driving northbound on U.S. 31 at speeds more than 100mph. Arellano crossed over the center line multiple times and disregarded additional stop signs and red signal lights as the pursuit approached Scott County.  

Trooper Jason Riley successfully deployed Stop Sticks at the intersection of U.S. 31 and West County Line Road, deflating two of the car’s tires.

The Mustang eventually came to a stop near Craig Road and U.S 31 in Scott County, where Arellano and her passenger were taken into custody without further incident.  

Both Arellano and her passenger were transported to the Scott County Jail.  Their charges are listed below.  

Lux Espranza Arellano, 22, Saint Charles, Illinois:
Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle
Possession of Marijuana
Reckless Driving
Suspended Vehicle Registration
Operator Never Licensed

Kassandra Soto Lopez, 23, Elgin, Illinois:
Possession of Marijuana

Thursday morning, Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were requested to respond to a shooting in Franklin County, Indiana that left a Brookville man deceased.

At approximately 1:40 am, the Brookville Police Department and Franklin County Sheriff’s Department responded to the Riverfront Apartments on Fairfield Avenue in Brookville after receiving a call of a person being shot in an apartment.

Officers quickly arrived and located a man in the apartment, later identified as Ronald W. Pence, age 32, who had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.  Officers and EMS immediately provided medical aid however, he was soon pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The alleged shooter, Crystal L. Pence, age 29, who was identified as the sister of the deceased, was taken into custody at the scene.  The preliminary investigation indicated that Crystal shot Ronald in the apartment and then stayed at the scene until police arrived.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post responded to the scene and are leading the investigation.

Crystal was soon arrested on a preliminary charge of felony murder.  She was transported to the Franklin County Jail where she was incarcerated.  The investigation is ongoing.

Ronald Pence’s family has been notified.

The Brookville Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Letts EMS, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, and Franklin County Coroner’s Office has assisted in the investigation.

A notice was posted on the East Washington School Corporation Live Feed earlier today noting that the Washington County Health Department is investigating a case of Whooping Cough (Pertusis) at the school.

Pertussis is a contagious respiratory illness and bacteria can cause it to spread from person to person by coughing, sneezing or sharing the same breathing space as a contagious person for a prolonged period of time. 

According to the note posted on the website, parents are asked not to send your child to school if they have symptoms of pertussis, which can begin 7 to 10 days (and up to 21 days) following exposure. 

The first symptoms of pertussis are similar to a common cold and may include a a runny or stuffed-up nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever. 

After a week or two, the cough becomes more severe and may occur more frequently during sleep. As the cough worsens, it may include rapid, violent and uncontrollable coughing fits, which may cause people to vomit or make a high-pitched “whoop” sound when breathing in after the coughing fit. 

Symptoms of pertussis may be milder in adolescents and adults than in young children. 

Pertussis is especially serious in babies under 12 months old. Babies with pertussis may not develop a cough and instead may cause them to struggle to breathe, turn blue or purple or have pauses in breathing. 

If your child has pertussis, contact your physician. 

If your child has these symptoms at school, parents will be called to take them home and have them evaluated by a physician. 

If your physician suspects your child has pertussis, testing may be performed. If your physician diagnoses your child with pertussis, the student must remain isolated at home until after taking 5 full days of an appropriate antibiotic or 21 days after cough onset (if untreated). 

All household members who have a case of pertussis should also be given antibiotics for prevention.

According to the information posted on East Washington’s website, the best way to prevent pertussis is by staying up-to-date on pertussis vaccinations. 

Fully vaccinated persons can still contract pertussi; however, vaccinated persons’ symptoms will usually be mlder than those who are not vaccinated. 

It is recommended you check all family members’ vaccination status to ensure they are up-to-date on recommended pertussis vaccinations. 

Contact your physician or the Washington County Health Department at 812-883-5603. 

A crash Monday along State Road 56 in Washington County took the life of an Austin man and seriously injured a second driver.

Around 7:31 AM Monday, 62-year-old James Fox of Austin was traveling east on State Road 56 near Elk Creek Road.  Investigators believe Fox crossed into the westbound lanes and into the path of 46-year-old Jason Terrell of Bedford. 

Terrell was traveling west on State Road 56. 

Fox’s 2007 Chevrolet Silverado collided with Terrell’s 2013 GMC Sierra in a near head-on collision, which forced both vehicles out of the roadway.

Fox was pronounced dead at the scene by the Washington County Coroner’s Office. 

Terrell was extricated from his GMC and was transported to the University of Louisville Hospital for his injuries.

State Road 56 was closed for nearly four hours as the State Police Crash Reconstruction Team investigated the collision and the scene was cleared.

The crash remains under investigation. 

The family of the deceased has been notified.