Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Restitution of more than $100,000 was ordered paid by a motorcyclist found guilty of fleeing law enforcement.
Ty Shepler, 33, of 625 Logan St., Warsaw, was sentenced last week in Kosciusko Superior Court I to one year in the Kosciusko County Jail after pleading guilty to the offense as a Class A misdemeanor. Shepler was charged with the crime as a Class D felony, but was allowed to plead to the lesser charge.
Shepler was arrested in May after a high-speed chase that ended with a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department squad car striking a house at its gas meter. That accident resulted in the destruction of both the house, owned by Richard Goshert, and the KCSD car. Both the house and car were engulfed in flames shortly after the accident. The driver of the car, reserve deputy Robert Conley, suffered scrapes and bruises in the accident.
Shepler sped away from the scene of the May 5 accident, but officers had captured the motorcycle and its driver on in-car video and Shepler was later identified as the driver. Charges were filed against him about 10 days later.
The pursuit began in Warsaw when Shepler passed a vehicle in a no-passing zone. When Warsaw police attempted to stop the motorcyclist, he fled, with speeds reaching in excess of 110 mph. Warsaw police then called off the chase. Conley later spotted the motorcycle near U.S. 30 and CR 350W and the pursuit resumed. Conley lost control of his vehicle on CR 350W, and Shepler continued away from the scene.
In addition to the jail term, Shepler was ordered to pay $109,000 restitution to Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. and $500 to Goshert. He also must pay a $100 fine and court costs.
