Troopers clock minivan full of Amish teens going 110 mph
ROCHESTER, Ind. (WANE) — Four teens from Shipshewana and a fifth from Topeka face various charges following a traffic stop by Indiana State Police this past Friday in Fulton County where the Dodge minivan they were in was clocked doing 110 mph on U.S. 31.
The minivan was going south on U.S. 31 when two troopers used radar to verify its speed in a 60 mph zone. As the troopers drove to catch up to the van they could see alcoholic beverages being tossed out the windows. Once they stopped the minivan, a search of the interior turned up numerous containers of alcohol including several cases of beer and a large bottle of whiskey. The troopers could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from the minivan and it appeared the 17-year-old driver, who only had a learners permit, had been drinking.
Besides the driver, there were two girls, ages 16 and 17, and two 16-year-old boys. All appeared to have been drinking as well.
The driver faces charges of reckless driving, operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration level between .02 and .08 under the age of 21, minor consumption of alcohol, littering, learners permit violation, speeding, and unlawful possession of tobacco.
The two boys face charges of minor consumption of alcohol and unlawful possession of tobacco. Both teen girls face minor consumption of alcohol charges.
All five were released into the custody of a relative of one the teens. The troopers initially had trouble contacting the teens parents, because the parents do not use telephones due to practicing the Amish religion.
