Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
PIERCETON - A conservation officer was critically injured this morning in a two-vehicle accident on Ind. 13, south of Pierceton.
Carl L. Hepler, 44, of Warsaw, an officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, was southbound on Ind. 13, near CR 550S, when he apparently lost control of his car and slid sideways. He was struck broadside in the driver's side by a pickup driven by William Keith Jenkins, 41, of Sidney. The accident call came in at 6:14 a.m.
Hepler, who was pinned in his squad car, suffered extensive head and internal injuries and was semi-conscious at the scene. He was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital and later transferred to Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne, by ground ambulance because weather conditions precluded the hospital's helicopter ambulance from flying.
Jenkins suffered multiple cuts and bruises and was treated at KCH and released.
Both Hepler and Jenkins were wearing seat belts and an air bag in Hepler's car did deploy.
According to Cpl. Chad Hill of the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, Hepler was 10 to 20 feet north of the intersection with CR 550S on the snow-covered, icy-slick road when his car began to slide sideways and counterclockwise on a curve.
Jenkins, who was northbound, told police he saw Hepler's car sliding and tried to avoid a collision. "He started to put his vehicle in a ditch to avoid it," Hill said, "but they hit and ended up both sliding off the road together."
Hill said there were no apparent skid marks from either vehicle, but added, "everything was already covered up with a mixture of new snow and sleet."
Officials said Hepler is believed to have been en route to Indianapolis to pick up a new squad car that was issued to him.
Hepler recently returned to active duty after being gored in mid-October by a deer he kept penned at his McKenna Road property. He is still recovering from some of the wounds, which included multiple puncture wounds to his legs. The 2-1/2-year-old whitetail buck deer attacked Hepler in the pen Oct. 17 when he turned his back on the animal while feeding it.
KCSD was assisted at the scene by Indiana State Police, Pierceton police, fire and EMS, DNR and Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service.
