A Warsaw woman was airlifted to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne Wednesday afternoon after her boyfriend accidentally backed over her with his vehicle following a verbal argument. According to Sgt. Chad Hill of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to the call at 5 p.m. Wednesday at 2275 S. Lake Sharon Road in Warsaw. When emergency personnel arrived, the victim, identified as Tracy A. Prater, 39, of that address, was still trapped under the vehicle, though she was cognitive and responsive. The response team used a floor jack provided by a witness to lift the car and extract Prater, who was then airlifted to Lutheran in serious condition to be treated for head, facial and chest injuries. According to Prater’s statement, she and her boyfriend, Benjamin D. Irvine, 37, same address, had a verbal argument and Irvine was attempting to leave the residence in his vehicle. Prater told police she was standing near the rear of the vehicle in the driveway when she slipped on a patch of ice and fell onto the driveway and out of Irvine’s line of sight. Irvine, who told police he believed she had cleared the area of the car, began backing out of the driveway and subsequently drove over Prater who was laying on the ground. Prater’s head was struck by the undercarriage of the vehicle and Irvine stopped the vehicle when he realized he had struck her. At this time, Hill said there is no reason to believe the accident was purposeful and said both Prater and Irvine’s statements corroborated, each telling police the incident was purely accidental.
