This morning at about 2:00 a.m. on SR 63 just north of US 136 (that is about four miles west of Covington) a speeding car was stopped and approximately four pounds of alleged marijuana was found in the inside of the car.

Trooper Kevin Jeffries was stationary monitoring traffic when he got a reading of 86 mph in a 60 mph zone.

Trooper Jeffries pulled out and stopped a gray 2019 Hyundai Elantra being driven by Angelo D. Johnson, 21 of Danville, IL  While talking to Angelo through the car window, Trooper Jeffries could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. 

Upon searching of the vehicle, approximately four pounds of suspected marijuana was found in the trunk of the vehicle.  Angelo was taken into custody and charged with;

• Possession of over 30 grams of Marijuana with Prior Conviction
• Dealing Marijuana with Prior Conviction

Angelo was booked into the Warren County Jail. 

Assisting Trooper Jeffries was Trooper Mason Willey and Maskel Towing.  The investigation is continuing.

July 18th through the 20th, the ISP Bloomington District A.C.E.S. along with other district troopers participated in patrols in conjunction with the 2019 “ABATE Boogie” in Lawrence County.

These special patrols took place during the afternoon and evening hours of July 18th, 19^th and 20th as well as the day time hours of July 21. 

The patrols generated 31 traffic tickets, 124 traffic warnings, 2 OWI arrests, 50 criminal arrests, 22 felony criminal arrests and 21 criminal defendants.

Arrests that were made during the patrol included;

• Possession of Marijuana
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of Methamphetamine
• Felony Warrant Service
• OWI
• Resisting Law Enforcement (Vehicle & on Foot)
• Criminal Recklessness (Vehicle)
• Reckless Driving
• False Informing/Reporting
• Perjury
• Possession of Controlled Substance (Pills)

Troopers Caleb Garvin, Kaitlyn Greene and her K9 Partner “Drogos”, Zach Parker, Chance Humphrey, Chris Griggs, Sam Wagner, Matt Hatchett, Nick Bartalone, Cory Knight, Daniel Crozier, Jarrod Lentz and Sergeant Greg Day all participated in the special patrols.

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an incident where an unresponsive 1-year-old was pulled from Lake of the Woods in Marshall County.

The child was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center and is listed in critical condition.

Last night (Saturday) at approximately 8:09 p.m., responders were dispatched to the 4100 blocks of Lake Shore Drive near the town of Bremen. Initial reports were that a young child was pulled from the lake and was unresponsive.

Results of an initial investigation were that family members were ending a birthday party when they noticed a back door to the home open and the 1-year-old missing.

After a brief search, family members located the child floating in 18 inches of water. The child was missing for 5-10 minutes.

Early Saturday morning a Granger man was arrested for having nearly three and a half pounds of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop on the Indiana Toll Road.

This morning, around 1:15 a.m., Trooper Luis Alvarez stopped a black 2011 Camry for a moving violation on the Indiana Toll Road near the 94-mile marker westbound. This is just east of the Elkhart Exit.

While Alvarez was speaking to the driver, Matthew Luger, 23 of Granger, IN, Alvarez discovered a small glass jar containing suspected marijuana.

A subsequent search of the Camry revealed nearly three and a half pounds of suspected marijuana in several clear plastic bags as well as paraphernalia.

Luger was arrested and taken to the Elkhart County Jail for preliminary charges of Dealing Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Just after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 19, emergency crews responded to a four-vehicle accident on Interstate 70 that claimed the lives of two individuals and sent one individual to Regional Hospital.  

Preliminary investigation by the Indiana State Police indicates that a semi-tractor trailer was disabled alongside Interstate 70 in the emergency lane near the 21-mile marker.  Traffic near this area was slowing, as drivers attempted to merge into the passing lane due to the disabled semi. 

A 2014 Peterbilt semi-tractor trailer driven by Serge Marquis, 54, Quebec, was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 in the driving lane near the 20-mile marker and failed to recognize that traffic was slowing.  It was at this time that Marquis’ semi hit a 2015 GMC passenger vehicle, driven by a Dolores Soroa, 67, West Miami, Florida, in the rear, forcing the passenger vehicle into the median of Interstate 70. 

Marquis’ semi tractor-trailer continued on eastbound in the driving lane of Interstate 70, striking a second vehicle, a fifth-wheel pickup pulling a trailer, driven by Christian Birch, 40, of Trafalgar, Indiana.  Upon this impact, the semi-tractor trailer traveled into the south side of Interstate 70, and into the wood line coming to a stop. 

A large ramp from the fifth-wheel trailer became dislodged due to the collision with the semi, landing in the driving lane of Interstate 70. 

A second semi, a 2018 Freightliner driven by Nishant Nair Ajax, 40, Ontario, could not avoid the dislodged ramp, running over it, disabling the Freightliner due to mechanical malfunctions.

Deceased is Dolores C. Soroa, 67, of West Miami, Florida, and Angelis Nora Herrera Perez, 70, Cuba.  Both the deceased was located in the passenger vehicle forced into the median.  Families have been notified.  

This investigation is ongoing.  When the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Drugs and alcohol are not a contributing factor in the crash.

Assisting Agencies:  Jackson Township Fire Department, Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, Clay County Coroner’s Office, Indiana Department of Transportation, Star Ambulance Service, Lambert’s Wrecker Service, Camp’s Wrecker Service.