Elkhart County – Shortly after 11:00 p.m. Thursday night the Indiana State Police received a phone call from a distraught husband who wanted to report his wife as missing. Less than two hours later troopers were able to locate his wife still trapped in her car after crashing into a wooded area in north eastern Elkhart County nearly twelve hours earlier.
Ray Storer called the state police explaining that his wife, Loreena J. Storer, of Elkhart, had not reported for work Thursday night. He informed police that he last saw his wife when he left for work early Thursday morning. Several family members became concerned about her whereabouts when repeated calls to her cell phone went unanswered and straight to voicemail.
Trooper Robert Leffert had been working post command and received the initial call from Ray Storer. State police initiated a ping service through AT&T in an attempt to locate Loreena’s cell phone. During this time Trooper Leffert’s shift ended, however, he responded to the area to assist Trooper John Dupont in an effort to locate Loreena Storer. The troopers were notified that the ping located her cell phone near John Weaver Parkway south of CR 6 in Elkhart. After a search of the area on foot troopers were able to locate Storer in her green 1997 Chevrolet Trail Blazer. The vehicle was nearly unnoticeable in a wooded area approximately 30 feet off the road and down an embankment. Storer had been trapped in her SUV since she crashed around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday nearly twelve hours earlier.
Storer was extricated from her SUV by fire personnel and transported to Elkhart General Hospital for her injuries. She suffered from lacerations and trauma to her head and face. Police located her cell phone in her pocket but believe she was unable to use it due to her injuries.
The state police have not yet determined why Storer drove off the road. The crash investigation is ongoing at this time.
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