Driver At Large After Downtown Crash

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By Ruth Anne Lipka, Times-Union Lifestyles Editor-

An estimated $88,000 in damage was caused this morning by a pickup that struck a gas line and a building. The driver of the vehicle reportedly fled the scene on foot.

The 1:33 a.m. accident occurred in the 100 block of West Market Street, west of Buffalo Street, Warsaw, where a westbound pickup went over the curb on the south side of the street and hit a utility pole. The vehicle then went across both lanes of traffic and over the curb on the north side of Market Street and hit the building at 116 W. Market St., which houses Alderfer & Associates Retirement Planning.

Before the truck struck the building, it also hit a NIPSCO gas meter, rupturing the gas line. Police were unable to get close to the pickup until the fire department arrived on the scene. Once fire crews got there, police saw there was nobody in the truck.

A small amount of blood was found to the rear of the building, the apparent direction of travel the suspect took, police said.

A patron at Rex's Rendezvous told police he heard a loud bang and walked to the corner of Buffalo and Market streets and saw a man and woman walking to the north around the corner of Market and Lake streets.

Police checked with area hospitals and were unable to locate anyone who came in for treatment of head or facial injuries. A hair sample was taken from the driver's side visor of the pickup.

The registered owner of the pickup is Fredrick Rex Robertson, North CR 875W, Etna Green. A motorcycle in the bed of the pickup is registered to Scott Stine, North CR 875W, Etna Green. A woman at the Etna Green residence told police Robertson uses the residence for a mailing address only. She said she believes Robertson is living in California and the last she knew his pickup was in Wisconsin.

Damage is estimated at $20,000 to Robertson's pickup; $65,000 to the building owned by Arthur Marose; and $1,000 each to Stine's motorcycle, the NIPSCO pole and 100,000 cubic feet of gas lost in the rupture. [[In-content Ad]]

An estimated $88,000 in damage was caused this morning by a pickup that struck a gas line and a building. The driver of the vehicle reportedly fled the scene on foot.

The 1:33 a.m. accident occurred in the 100 block of West Market Street, west of Buffalo Street, Warsaw, where a westbound pickup went over the curb on the south side of the street and hit a utility pole. The vehicle then went across both lanes of traffic and over the curb on the north side of Market Street and hit the building at 116 W. Market St., which houses Alderfer & Associates Retirement Planning.

Before the truck struck the building, it also hit a NIPSCO gas meter, rupturing the gas line. Police were unable to get close to the pickup until the fire department arrived on the scene. Once fire crews got there, police saw there was nobody in the truck.

A small amount of blood was found to the rear of the building, the apparent direction of travel the suspect took, police said.

A patron at Rex's Rendezvous told police he heard a loud bang and walked to the corner of Buffalo and Market streets and saw a man and woman walking to the north around the corner of Market and Lake streets.

Police checked with area hospitals and were unable to locate anyone who came in for treatment of head or facial injuries. A hair sample was taken from the driver's side visor of the pickup.

The registered owner of the pickup is Fredrick Rex Robertson, North CR 875W, Etna Green. A motorcycle in the bed of the pickup is registered to Scott Stine, North CR 875W, Etna Green. A woman at the Etna Green residence told police Robertson uses the residence for a mailing address only. She said she believes Robertson is living in California and the last she knew his pickup was in Wisconsin.

Damage is estimated at $20,000 to Robertson's pickup; $65,000 to the building owned by Arthur Marose; and $1,000 each to Stine's motorcycle, the NIPSCO pole and 100,000 cubic feet of gas lost in the rupture. [[In-content Ad]]

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