(Steuben County, IN)-The Indiana State Police is investigating a two vehicle crash which occurred earlier this afternoon on State Road 327 at the intersection of County Road 500 S, north of Helmer, and reportedly involved a stolen vehicle from Auburn.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper James Bailey indicated at approximately 3:40 p.m., a 1996 Dodge pickup, which had been stolen at approximately 3:00 p.m. from Auburn, was traveling northbound on State Road 327 and began to slow at the intersection.
The Dodge then began a left hand turn onto 500 S when it was struck by a 2016 Ford E350 van which was attempting to go around it on the left. The Dodge continued off the northwest corner of the intersection and came to a rest in a yard. The van also left the northwest corner of the intersection and struck a NIPSCO utility pole causing the pole to partially come down with wires in the roadway.
The driver of the Dodge, who is unknown at this time, purportedly ran and was seen getting into a red passenger vehicle east of the crash scene. The driver of the van, Juston Lee Fike, 36 of Corunna refused medical treatment. There were four other passengers in the van with Fike, two of whom were transported to Cameron Hospital in Angola for their injuries: 21 year old Amanda N Houck and 49 year old Larry Miller, both of rural Orland. All were said to have been wearing their seatbelts which lessened the severity of injuries sustained.
This crash remains under investigation and anyone with any information with regards to the identity of the man who was driving the stolen Dodge pickup is asked to contact the Indiana State Police in Fort Wayne at either (800) 552-0976 or (260) 432-8661. Bailey was assisted by the Steuben County Sheriff Department, Hudson Fire Department, Angola Police Department, Steuben County EMS, NIPSCO and INDOT.
All Suspects Are Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty in a Court of Law
