Crash involving sheriff’s deputy and Michigan man leaves 1 seriously injured
HOWE, Ind. (WISH) — State police say they are investigating a crash involving a LaGrange County Sheriff’s deputy that left a Michigan man seriously injured.
Around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, LaGrange County dispatch notified the Indiana State Police of a serious crash involving a pickup truck and a Sheriff’s deputy vehicle on State Road 120 at County Road 100 East.
That intersection is outside of Howe, 10 minutes north of LaGrange.
During their preliminary investigation, officers learned that LaGrange County Sheriff’s Deputy Zachary Anderson was traveling east on SR 120 in his department-issued 2021 Dodge Durango. Anderson was responding to an unrelated call, with the lights and sirens on his vehicle activated.
The pickup, a blue 1994 GMC driven by 33-year-old Jamie Espinal-Albor of Sturgis, Michigan, was traveling north on CR 100 E when investigators say he allegedly failed to yield to the deputy and pulled out into the police vehicle’s path.
The deputy struck the GMC, causing the pickup truck to overturn and come to rest on its roof in a nearby ditch. Anderson came to a stop in another ditch. Both vehicles received extensive damage.
Espinal-Albor had to be extricated from his truck by firefighters. He was later taken to the Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne and was said to be in serious condition.
Anderson and his K9 partner were not injured, but Anderson was taken to Parkview Regional Hospital to be looked over. Both drivers gave a blood sample for testing as is required by Indiana law.
Investigators say they are waiting for the results of those tests.