Tuesday morning at approximately 6:15 a.m., Trooper Dennis Griffin was dispatched to a rollover crash on I-65 southbound lanes at the 220 mile-marker. 

Preliminary investigation by Trooper Griffin shows that a gold 2002 Ford pickup side-swiped a 2016 Freightliner semi-truck/trailer. 

After the initial impact, the pickup crossed the southbound lanes and drove off the roadway and into the west ditch where it overturned several times.  The vehicle came to a rest on its wheels in a field. 

The driver, identified as Dustin P. Schilling, 28, from Indianapolis, IN, was extricated from the vehicle and flown to South Bend Memorial Hospital by Lutheran Air.  The driver of the Freightliner was not injured. 

Several good Samaritans who saw the crash take place stopped to assist the injured driver.  The vehicle was towed by Village Motors.

Assisting at the scene was the Rensselaer Fire Dept., Phoenix Medics and Village Motors Towing.

Today, the Indiana State Police arrested a 74-year-old Hanover, Indiana man after a search warrant was served at his home on Ten Cent Road in rural Jefferson County, Indiana.

The investigation, conducted by Detectives with the Indiana State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, began two months earlier when a cyber tip was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

The cyber tip indicated that Vic Weil, age 74, Hanover, IN had possibly engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old child.

Investigators conducted a search warrant at Weil’s residence this afternoon.  Weil was then located at his place of employment in Madison, Indiana where he was taken into custody. 

Weil was arrested and transported to the Jefferson County Jail where he was incarcerated on initial charges of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor and Child Solicitation, both Level 4 Felonies.  Weil will soon make his initial appearance in the Jefferson County Circuit Court.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Indiana State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Unit was assisted by the US Secret Service and the Madison Police Department.

This afternoon, Detectives from the Indiana State Police Organized Crime and Corruption Unit arrested Jeremy R. Crane, 38, of Bedford, following an investigation into official misconduct that allegedly occurred on October 3, 2020, in Lawrence County. 

The investigation started when Bedford Chief of Police, Terry Moore, contacted the Indiana State Police after becoming suspicious about the collection of evidence during an investigation by Crane.

Upon the conclusion of the investigation by Detective Craig Starr, all findings were turned over to a Special Prosecutor for review.

As a result, Senior Prosecuting Attorney, David O. Thomas, filed the following two charges in Lawrence County Court:

• Official Misconduct (False Reporting), Level 6 Felony
• Official Misconduct (Obstruction of Justice), Level 6 Felony

Crane was taken into custody without incident and incarcerated in the Lawrence County Jail. 

All requests about his employment should be directed to Bedford Chief of Police, Terry Moore.

A New Castle woman was arrested Monday evening after she caused a three-vehicle crash on State Road 3 at the intersection of Riley Road in New Castle.

Trooper JT Burns responded to the area and found three cars blocking the right two northbound lanes of State Road 3. Trooper Burns began to assess the scene and was approached by a local ER doctor who had witnessed the crash. The doctor instinctively began to triage the drivers of the damaged vehicles. She informed Trp. Burns that two of the drivers appeared to be uninjured however, the driver of one vehicle appeared to be non-responsive and was fading in and out of consciousness. The female driver was transported to the Henry Community Health Hospital for treatment.

During his investigation, Trp. Burns learned Melissa K. Terry, 48, New Castle, IN was driving a 2012 Mitsubishi northbound on State Road 3. She later admitted she was reaching for a bag on the passenger side floorboard. She didn’t see two cars which were stopped at the stop light at the intersection of Riley Road. Terry’s vehicle struck the rear of a 2017 Fiat driver by Lisa Kimmey, 52, New Castle, IN causing it to strike a 2017 GMC truck driven by Gerald Creager, 73, Eaton, OH.

During his investigation Trp. Burns found a rock like substance, a powder like substance, and paraphernalia associated with drug use in Terry’s vehicle.

Terry was found to be wanted on active arrest warrants from both North Carolina and Virginia.

Terry was evaluated and released by the ER staff before being transported to the Henry County Jail.

Arrested and Preliminary Charges:

• Melissa K. Terry, 48, New Castle, IN

1. Possession of Methamphetamine – Level 6 Felony
2. Possession of Narcotic Drug – Level 6 Felony
3. Operating While Intoxicated (Endangerment) – Class A Misdemeanor
4. Public Intoxication – Class B Misdemeanor
5. Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (Controlled Substance) – Class C Misdemeanor
6. Possession of Paraphernalia – Class C Misdemeanor
7. Virginia Warrant – Full Extradition (Possession of Dangerous Drugs)

Trp. Burns was assisted by the New Castle PD, Henry County SD, New Castle EMS, New Castle FD, Henry Community Health Hospital ER, and Affordable 24 Hour Towing

Hunters looking to chase gobblers on public land this spring can find plenty of opportunity in Indiana’s forests. All 15 state forest properties and 204,000-acre Hoosier National Forest are open for walk-in hunting.

Youth wild turkey season is April 17 and April 18, Adult hunters can take to the fields beginning April 21 through May 9.

Hunters will need a valid turkey hunting license and gamebird habitat stamp to participate.

It’s important to remember that these forests are managed for multiple types of recreation, which means you may encounter more people than just other turkey hunters.

Hikers, foragers, horseback riders, campers, and many others enjoy these spaces, too. This openness also allows you to do more than just turkey hunts, so it’s a great excuse to bring the family along.

Hoosier National Forest, Deam Wilderness, and the surrounding area is popular for camping and hunting. Remember, there is no parking along Tower Ridge Road except at the designated spots.

When hunting any public land, remember that property lines are not always clearly marked. Carrying a map that shows property boundaries is important to avoid straying onto private land nearby.

You can find these maps at state and federal forest offices and online.

Indiana’s state forests and Hoosier National Forest are public lands for your use. If you’ve never experienced what these easy-to-access properties offer, turkey season is a great time to start.

Find out more by clicking here. Find resources including the Department of Resources’ Where to Hunt Map, regulations, spring harvest data, processing videos, and more on the DNR website.

The Indiana Department of Health is proactively notifying all vaccination clinics using the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to pause its use following news reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called for additional review of its safety.

The state has not received official notification of a directive to pause but is doing so out of an abundance of caution.

The health department will be sending the two-dose Moderna vaccine to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is conducting mass vaccination clinics today so that Hoosiers can continue to get vaccinated without interruption.

The department is also working with other clinics that were scheduled to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the immediate future.