Drunk Driver Hits, Kills Buggy Horse
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
At approximately 10:52 p.m. Saturday, emergency responders were called to Sheldon Street, north of the Warsaw Super Walmart, where a passenger car had struck a buggy and then fled the scene.
Emergency personnel located the buggy over the curb on the west side of Sheldon Street and observed that the horse had died.
Medical and fire personnel tended to five juvenile Amish males that had been ejected from the buggy. The Amish boys all suffered minor injuries and all of their parents signed off any medical treatment.
The teens all advised that they were traveling south toward Walmart on Sheldon Street when they observed a white car pass them and drive down to the Walmart lot and make a U-turn. The white car then traveled back north when the car swerved over into their lane and struck the horse and buggy head-on. The horse landed on the hood of the car and then fell to the pavement as the car backed up and fled the scene.
Warsaw police located the vehicle, a white 1993 Chevrolet Lumina, near U.S. 30 at CR 200W where the driver was attempting to restart the heavily damaged car to continue fleeing. The driver had minor bleeding to his head, but was also covered in blood from the horse. He was transported by EMS to Parkview DuPont Hospital in Fort Wayne where a search warrant for alcohol testing was performed.
The driver, Francisco J. Gonzalez, 24, of 704 Southside Drive, Warsaw, tested 0.17 percent but was released from the hospital before he could be taken into custody.
Only one witness at the scene advised police that they witnessed the white car northbound and hit the horse and buggy head-on. The investigation shows the vehicle crossed left of center and collided with the horse-drawn buggy.
None of the buggy occupants, nor any witnesses, told police that they thought the collision was intentional.
The investigation continues by WPD and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
WPD investigators request any witnesses to this accident that have not spoken with police to contact the department at 574-372-9515.
Current charges being filed on Francisco J. Gonzalez are: failure to stop after a vehicle accident and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Additional charges may be sought once the investigation is complete.
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At approximately 10:52 p.m. Saturday, emergency responders were called to Sheldon Street, north of the Warsaw Super Walmart, where a passenger car had struck a buggy and then fled the scene.
Emergency personnel located the buggy over the curb on the west side of Sheldon Street and observed that the horse had died.
Medical and fire personnel tended to five juvenile Amish males that had been ejected from the buggy. The Amish boys all suffered minor injuries and all of their parents signed off any medical treatment.
The teens all advised that they were traveling south toward Walmart on Sheldon Street when they observed a white car pass them and drive down to the Walmart lot and make a U-turn. The white car then traveled back north when the car swerved over into their lane and struck the horse and buggy head-on. The horse landed on the hood of the car and then fell to the pavement as the car backed up and fled the scene.
Warsaw police located the vehicle, a white 1993 Chevrolet Lumina, near U.S. 30 at CR 200W where the driver was attempting to restart the heavily damaged car to continue fleeing. The driver had minor bleeding to his head, but was also covered in blood from the horse. He was transported by EMS to Parkview DuPont Hospital in Fort Wayne where a search warrant for alcohol testing was performed.
The driver, Francisco J. Gonzalez, 24, of 704 Southside Drive, Warsaw, tested 0.17 percent but was released from the hospital before he could be taken into custody.
Only one witness at the scene advised police that they witnessed the white car northbound and hit the horse and buggy head-on. The investigation shows the vehicle crossed left of center and collided with the horse-drawn buggy.
None of the buggy occupants, nor any witnesses, told police that they thought the collision was intentional.
The investigation continues by WPD and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
WPD investigators request any witnesses to this accident that have not spoken with police to contact the department at 574-372-9515.
Current charges being filed on Francisco J. Gonzalez are: failure to stop after a vehicle accident and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Additional charges may be sought once the investigation is complete.
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