Accident Victim Had Complained of Husky Trail Safety
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
She attended a Warsaw Plan Commission meeting when The Canterbury House Apartments plat was given preliminary approval.
“Husky Trail is very busy now,” she told the Commission then. “Kids can’t cross the road to go to school and have to be bused.”
On Friday, Mitterling, 67, was killed in front of her home at 1649 Husky Trail when she was struck by a Winona Lake Police Department squad car while attempting to get her mail.
The city has been addressing traffic concerns in the area as part of the Husky Trail project, which includes the addition of sidewalks and street lights.
As more information is collected from the Friday night accident, the crash report will be supplemented, according to Warsaw Police Department Lt. Kip Shuter.
“We will supplement the crash report once we get the toxicology results from both of them. They are doing an autopsy on her,” Shuter said this morning.
He said they will try and answer all the questions, including the speed of the officer’s vehicle. “We will take all the steps we need to,” Shuter said, including retrieving the data recorder from the squad car.
At approximately 5:58 p.m. Friday, emergency units responded to Husky Trail, north of Harrison School, after a fully marked Winona Lake police car struck a pedestrian, according to a press release from the WPD Friday night.
The female pedestrian, identified as Mitterling, was unresponsive at the scene and died while being transported to a Fort Wayne hospital.
The Winona Lake officer driving the police car was identified as 30-year-old patrolman John Leeper, Warsaw.
Preliminary investigation indicates Mitterling was walking down her driveway and crossing Husky Trail to get her mail when she was struck by the southbound police car, the release stated. Leeper observed that Mitterling was wearing a winter jacket with a hood pulled up over her head as she briskly walked into the road without looking or stopping. Leeper stated that he swerved but was unable to avoid the collision. Leeper was driving to work to start his shift, and was not responding to any call for service.
As part of the investigation, Leeper was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital for alcohol and drug testing. Toxicology results are pending for both parties. The investigation continues by Warsaw Police and Kosciusko County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team.
Shuter said Mitterling’s autopsy results will take several weeks, and Leeper’s results should return within 10 days.
A call to Winona Lake Police Chief Paul Schmitt was not returned as of this morning.[[In-content Ad]]
She attended a Warsaw Plan Commission meeting when The Canterbury House Apartments plat was given preliminary approval.
“Husky Trail is very busy now,” she told the Commission then. “Kids can’t cross the road to go to school and have to be bused.”
On Friday, Mitterling, 67, was killed in front of her home at 1649 Husky Trail when she was struck by a Winona Lake Police Department squad car while attempting to get her mail.
The city has been addressing traffic concerns in the area as part of the Husky Trail project, which includes the addition of sidewalks and street lights.
As more information is collected from the Friday night accident, the crash report will be supplemented, according to Warsaw Police Department Lt. Kip Shuter.
“We will supplement the crash report once we get the toxicology results from both of them. They are doing an autopsy on her,” Shuter said this morning.
He said they will try and answer all the questions, including the speed of the officer’s vehicle. “We will take all the steps we need to,” Shuter said, including retrieving the data recorder from the squad car.
At approximately 5:58 p.m. Friday, emergency units responded to Husky Trail, north of Harrison School, after a fully marked Winona Lake police car struck a pedestrian, according to a press release from the WPD Friday night.
The female pedestrian, identified as Mitterling, was unresponsive at the scene and died while being transported to a Fort Wayne hospital.
The Winona Lake officer driving the police car was identified as 30-year-old patrolman John Leeper, Warsaw.
Preliminary investigation indicates Mitterling was walking down her driveway and crossing Husky Trail to get her mail when she was struck by the southbound police car, the release stated. Leeper observed that Mitterling was wearing a winter jacket with a hood pulled up over her head as she briskly walked into the road without looking or stopping. Leeper stated that he swerved but was unable to avoid the collision. Leeper was driving to work to start his shift, and was not responding to any call for service.
As part of the investigation, Leeper was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital for alcohol and drug testing. Toxicology results are pending for both parties. The investigation continues by Warsaw Police and Kosciusko County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team.
Shuter said Mitterling’s autopsy results will take several weeks, and Leeper’s results should return within 10 days.
A call to Winona Lake Police Chief Paul Schmitt was not returned as of this morning.[[In-content Ad]]
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