At 9:40 p.m. Saturday, Warsaw Police Department responded to a car that struck a train on the tracks at East Market Street, Warsaw, and then the driver fled the scene.
Police arrested Zachary White, 20, of 209 E. Baltimore St., Syracuse, on charges of failure to return to the scene of a personal injury accident, resisting law enforcement and outstanding warrants for failure to appear and driving while suspended.
When WPD officers responded to the call at the intersection of Market and Hickory streets, they found James Salyer II lying on the sidewalk next to Little Crow Foods. Salyer, 34, of 801 N. Huntington St., Syracuse, was a passenger in the vehicle when White struck the train car. Salyer was bleeding from the face and unable to recall what happened or where he was sitting in the vehicle.
Multi-Township EMS treated Salyer before he was transported via Samaritan helicopter to a Fort Wayne trauma center.
A second passenger and the owner of the vehicle, Amy Eskridge, 27, of 209 E. Baltimore St., Syracuse, was located at the scene. She complained of pain to her lower arm.
Eskridge stated she was in the front passenger’s seat and that Salyer was in the rear passenger seat at the time of the collision. Eskridge could not remember what happened prior to the collision but told officers White was the driver.
Witnesses at the scene said that they were stopped at the tracks and then saw a vehicle pass then traveling at 30 to 40 mph and hit the train. At that time, White fled the scene.
Later that evening, Eskridge contacted officers to inform them that White may be at 110 Union Drive, Winona Lake. At 1 a.m., WPD officers went to the home and inspected the premises. The owner of the home informed officers that White was at the home and officers apprehended White shortly after.
Police estimated the damage to both the train and car to be between $10,000 and $25,000.
White is being held at the Kosciusko County Jail on $2,000 as of press time this morning.
The Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office has yet to file charges against White.
