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A Kosciusko County grand jury has indicted two men in connection with the October death of Virgil L. Helman.
The grand jury indicted Edward L. Chivington, 45, North Webster, on two Class C felony charges. The first is operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .1 percent or greater causing death. The second is driving while intoxicated causing death.
According to police reports, Chivington was driving a pickup south on Ind. 13 near Syracuse at 3 a.m. Oct. 22. He struck Helman's truck as Helman attempted to turn left in front of the pickup.
The other man indicted in Helman's death is Gary L. Howard, the bartender who served Chivington alcohol before the accident. Howard is charged with a B misdemeanor, serving a person known to be intoxicated.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor David Kolbe said this is the first time he knows of Kosciusko County charging a bartender for this crime.
"I think this represents the mood of the community on how to address this question, " Kolbe said at his monthly press conference today.
The charges against Chivington were filed in Kosciusko Superior Court Three, and the charges against Howard were filed in Kosciusko Superior Court Two.
The grand jury did not indict anyone in the death of Shawnee Ulrey, 21, Warsaw. Ulrey was killed Oct. 27 when a semi struck her car at the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 150W, Warsaw.
According to witnesses, the driver of the semi, Michael Lee Sanger, 41, of Sabula, Iowa, ran through the red lights and struck Ulrey as she headed north on the county road.
A third hearing of the grand jury will involve the accidental deaths of two Cusick children. The hearing is set for Dec. 15 and 16.
