Indiana Department of Transportation personnel met with contractor representatives last week at Seymour District offices to review plans for installation of thin bridge deck overlays on State Road 258 and S.R. 256.   

Ragle, Inc. of Evansville, the state’s contractor for this $300,000 2-bridge project, is charged with placing 3/8-inch polymeric deck overlays at these locations:

• S.R. 258 bridge over the east fork of White River 2.5 miles west of S.R. 11 in Jackson County near Seymour
• S.R. 256 bridge over the Muscatatuck River 1.92 miles east of S.R. 39 at the Washington-Scott County line near Austin 

Temporary signals at either end of the S.R. 258 bridge will allow motorists to cross one-direction-at-a- time.  Work will begin June 1. 

The S.R. 256 bridge deck overlay is scheduled after the July 4th holiday. This operation will require a 30-day closure. 

A signed detour will reroute traffic via S.R. 39, S.R. 56 and Interstate 65.

We’ve heard the excuses. They wrinkle my clothes. It doesn’t fit me right. If my car is on fire after a crash I don’t want to be trapped in a seat belt. I wasn’t traveling that far. Troopers that have worked the road for even a short period of time can easily recount having heard these and similar excuses for not wearing a seat belt. The truth is, there are no excuses.

Within the last week Indiana State Police troopers have investigated two crashes, one in Marion County with five people that were ejected after a rollover crash and another crash in Knox County where two people were ejected.  In both of these crashes indications are seat belts were not being used.

According to America’s Health Rankings United Health Foundation, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children and adults aged 1 to 54 years in the United States. A total of 21,022 drivers and passengers died in 2014 the result of motor vehicle crashes and more than 2.3 million people were injured and treated in emergency departments. Over half of teens and adults who died in crashes in 2014 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. Wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent deaths and injuries in car crashes, helping to reduce injuries and deaths by approximately 50%.

Information compiled by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute revealed that in 2015 there were 250 unrestrained passenger vehicle fatalities in Indiana. The number of unrestrained passenger fatalities in 2015 increased 31.6 percent from 2014. However, overall, there has been a 23.6 percent decrease in unrestrained passenger vehicle fatalities since 2006. 

In June 2015, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Law Enforcement Liaison conducted an observational seat belt survey to determine usage rates for drivers and passengers of all vehicles. Historically, seat belt usage rates of pickup truck occupants has been lower than cars; therefore, one of the ICJI’s primary focuses was targeting this class of occupants. Survey results found pickup truck occupant usage rates for 2015 at 83.1 percent, which is significantly lower than that of cars, which was 94.8 percent. However, truck seat belt usage rates increased 4 percent from 2014 to 2015.  This indicates efforts to increase truck sea tbelt usage rates have had a positive effect.

Indiana law requires all passengers in a moving vehicle be restrained in a seatbelt or child restraint system while the vehicle is in forward motion. Law enforcement can make a traffic stop if you are observed operating a motor vehicle in violation of this law.

 Please buckle-up every time, for every trip, long or short.

“Seat belt usage is one of the simplest ways to enhance your safety and reduce injuries in the event of a crash” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “Trooper’s will aggressively enforce seat belt usage to advance voluntary compliance and ensure the safety of Hoosier families.”

To learn more about Indiana’s restraint laws visit the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute website at http://www.in.gov/cji/2383.htm.

Three Austin men were charged and arrested on warrants for drug related charges Friday afternoon. 

Arrested and Charged were:

• Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner, 45, Water Tower Road, Austin, (address located in county).
  *Charged with-Possession of Methamphetamine, Dealing Methamphetamine, Resisting Law Enforcement and Criminal Trespass.  Incarcerated at the Scott County Jail.

  

• Jesse Eversole, 40, Dana Lane, Austin.
  *Charged with Visiting a Common Nuisance. Arrested by Austin City Police on 4-18-2017. Incarcerated at the Scott County Jail. 

  

• Joseph Riley, 40, Main Street, Austin, IN.
  *Charged with Visiting a Common Nuisance. Warrant served on him in the Scott County Jail where he was incarcerated on other charges at the time the warrant was issued. Incarcerated at the Scott County Jail. 

  

  Troopers from the Indiana State Police Post at Sellersburg and officers from the Austin City Police Department went to Cypress Street in Austin looking for Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner, 45, from Water Tower Road, Austin, (address located in the county).

Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner had a warrant for his arrest issued out of the Scott County Circuit Court for Dealing and Possession of Methamphetamine. Troopers and officers located Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner at the residence and after a short foot pursuit he was apprehended and taken into custody.
 
The warrant was a result of an investigation that began on February 21^st of this year.

On that day, the Indiana State Police received information of possible drug activity taking place at an address on Fourth Street in Austin. When troopers and officers from the Austin City Police went to the address on Fourth Street, they located Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner and two other male subjects located inside of a vehicle parked with the engine running behind the home.
 
After speaking to the occupants of the vehicle, a trooper located Methamphetamine, Digital Scales and U.S. Currency.

The evidence was taken into custody and the investigation ended with three arrest warrants being issued on April 18th for, Jeffrey “Darin” Hanner, (in driver’s seat of vehicle during initial investigation), Jesse Eversole, (back seat occupant of the vehicle during initial investigation) and Joseph Riley, (front passenger seat occupant of the vehicle during initial investigation).   
 

Two Troopers from the Jasper District were honored today at an awards ceremony at the Indiana Government Center.
 
Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents and Trooper Jeremy Galloway were presented awards for their service to the State of Indiana.

Senior Trooper Jarrod Lents was awarded as the 2016 Jasper District Trooper of the Year.  This award was presented to Senior Trooper Lents for achieving outstanding enforcement efforts in the areas of traffic and criminal enforcement, case and crash investigations, public information programs and community service; and for exemplifying the professionalism and integrity expected of an Indiana State Trooper. 
 
For 2016, Senior Trooper Lents arrested individuals on 264 criminal charges, issued 1914 traffic contacts, and made 8 operating while intoxicated arrests as a day-shift trooper.  Lents was the Jasper District Trooper of the Year in 2009, and was awarded the Department Purple Heart and Combat Action Award in 2014.  Lents is a 12 year veteran of the State Police and primarily patrols Martin and Daviess Counties.
 
The Top Drunk Driving Award was presented to Trooper Galloway for his efforts in removing impaired and intoxicated motorists from Indiana’s roadways.  Trooper Galloway was awarded for his efforts of arresting more impaired drivers in 2016 than any other Jasper District trooper.  Trooper Galloway received the Top Drunk Driving Award in 2014 and 2015 as well.  Galloway is a five year veteran of the State Police and primarily patrols Perry County.
 
The actions and dedication to duty of Senior Trooper Lents and of Troopers Galloway are in keeping with the finest traditions of law enforcement and reflect great credit upon themselves and the Indiana State Police Department.