INCIDENTS
City:
Wednesday, 2:16 p.m., Walmart. Report of theft.
Wednesday, 2:20 p.m., Washington and Williams streets. Missing person. Located at 2:59 p.m.
Wednesday, 2:21 p.m., Hampshire Court Apartments. Report of vandalism.
Wednesday, 2:22 p.m., Walmart. Report of theft.
Wednesday, 2:55 p.m., 600 block of Beth Avenue. Report of threatening messages.
Wednesday, 3:24 p.m. Cherry and Marion streets. Parking problem. Semi was delivering food to the fair, was able to make it out.
Wednesday, 5:07 p.m., Hardees. Parking problem. Both vehicles moved by drivers.
Wednesday, 6:22 p.m., Hardees. Parking problem. Owner said it would be moved.
Wednesday, 8:29 p.m., 712 Main St. Semi attempted to use caller’s driveway to turn around and damaged front yard. Report to follow.
Wednesday, 9:27 p.m., Pak A Sak North. Parking problem. Both vehicles moved.
County:
Wednesday, 1:01 p.m., 6300 South S.R. 1, Bluffton. Report of broken down semi in lane.
Wednesday, 5:05 p.m., Wells County Jail. Two protection orders served to Kelby Gerber.
Wednesday, 6:32 p.m., S.R. 116 and Southwest Church Road, Bluffton. Report of subject running stop sign, causing driver to collide with barrier.
Wednesday, 8:45 p.m., Wells County Jail. Warrant served to Zachary Berkey.
Thursday, 10:07 a.m., S.R. 1 and East 1150S, Montpelier. Report of accident involving multiple vehicles.
Ossian:
Wednesday, 8:52 p.m., 8400N 450E, Ossian. Report of two vehicles on side of road, caller unsure if assistance was needed. Driver advised that his vehicle it was overheating, and another vehicle was towing it with a tow strap home to Allen County.
ACCIDENTS
City:
Monday, 11:25 a.m., S.R. 1 at Oak Forest Drive. Keturah Bradford, 18, Bluffton, was turning her 1997 Buick Century south out of Oak Forest Drive onto to S.R. 1 and did not have enough time to clear the intersection. William Wallis, 27, Fort Wayne, said he was unable to stop his 2012 Peterbilt 265 garbage truck in time and T-boned the driver’s side of the vehicle. Bradford’s vehicle was off the roadway in a residential landscape area when the investigating officer arrived. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Damage did not exceed $25,000.
Monday, 4 p.m., Merchant Street, 100 ft. north of Central Avenue. Paige L. Chapman, 25, Bluffton, was driving a 2015 Nissan Sentra south on Merchant Street and went to turn into her driveway and struck a 2021 Kia Forte driven by Destiny Howard, 24, Berne, who had been attempting to go around the vehicle. Howard said Chapman had pulled into the northbound side of the road and stopped, so Howard proceeded in her own lane. Chapman admitted to failing to use her turn signal. Damage did not exceed $5,000.
Tuesday, 3:07 p.m., S.R. 1. Abigale C. Schreier, 17, Ossian, was driving an 2011 Ford Explorer when the vehicles in front of her stopped suddenly and she was unable to stop before hitting a 2023 Tesla Model Y driven by Mike Springer, 54, Bluffton. Schreier’s vehicle was towed by Freeman’s. Springer said he was slowing traffic when his vehicle had been struck. He reported minor back and neck pain at the scene. Damage did not exceed $10,000.
Wednesday, 12:09 p.m., Washington Street at Williams Street. David Meadows, 70, Bluffton, stopped a 2023 Ford Maverick northbound at the intersection and failed to see an eastbound 2015 Ford Focus driven by Julie Coons, 39, Montpelier. Coons had the right of way, and said she also did not see Meadows’ vehicle. Damage did not exceed $10,000.
Wednesday, 8:12 p.m., Dairy Queen. Jaden C. Summers, 20, Bluffton, was driving a 2011 Nissan Titan through the drive thru at Dairy Queen and, in attempt to get closer to the window, backed into a parked 2014 Chevrolet Impala. Damage did not exceed $1,000.
Wednesday, 8:39 p.m., 712 Main St. Hayat Hamjari, 31, Detroit, ignored road closure signs on Main Street in a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia, and attempted to turn the semi around once realizing the road was closed. While Tturning, Hamjari went into the front yards of 711 S Main St. and 712 S Main St., creating large ruts and chunks of grass. Damage did not exceed $5,000.
County:
Thursday, 10:09 a.m., S.R. 1. Carl Wentz, 60, Pennville, was driving a Chevrolet Astro Van behind a Polaris ATV driven by Jan Van Del Laar, 42, Keystone. Wentz advised he did not see the ATV turning until the last second, and he attempted to miss the vehicle by swerving into the South bound lane as the ATV was turning left, causing the vehicles to collide.Van Del Laar was transported to the hospital for injuries. Both drivers were advised they were partially to blame as Wentz was following too closely, and Van Del Laar was not supposed to be operating the ATV on a state highway. Damages did not exceed $25,000.
FIRES
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m., 20 Woodlawn St., Bluffton. Report of gas leak in home. Bluffton Fire Department responded. Gas shut off.
ARRESTS
Joshua Aaron Keeton Ashby, 39, Fort Wayne; probation violation, a Class A misdemeanor. No bond set.
Zachary James Berkey, 31, Bluffton; domestic battery against family member less than 14 years old, a Level 6 felony. Bond set at $25,000.
Brittany Deann Vaughn, 26, Bluffton; possession of a hypodermic needle or syringe, a Level 6 felony, and possession of paraphernalia, a Class B misdemeanor. Bond set at $6,000.
