Putnam Scanner for 6-15-16

County Jail

Six people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

* At 10:46 p.m. on Monday, Stephen James Lindsey Brittschmidt, 24, Greencastle, was housed at the jail for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon (a knife), disorderly conduct and reckless possession of paraphernalia.

At 8:09 p.m. Bruce Lee Artis, 42, Cloverdale, was booked in on a writ for failure to appear.

At 6:48 p.m. Matthew Allen Rudolph, 24, Greencastle, was arrested for probation violation.

* At 9:32 p.m. on Sunday, Dennis James Murphy, 62, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for driving while intoxicated.

At 3:10 a.m. Caitlin Shayne Birge, 26, Martinsville, was taken into custody on a warrant.

At 2:57 a.m. David Kray Gruener, 29, Cloverdale, was charged with reckless possession of paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.

City Police

Three recent arrests were reported by Greencastle City Police officers.

* At 1:23 a.m. Tuesday, Chastene Burchett, 32, Greencastle, was arrested at a South Spring Street apartment by Officer Elsiana Crosby.

Lodged in the Putnam County Jail, Burchett is facing charges of possession of a controlled substance and neglect of a dependent.

* At 10:04 a.m. on June 9, Billy Jones, 39, Cloverdale, was arrested by Officer Kyle Lee on Crown Street near Ridpath School.

Jones, who was lodged in the Putnam County Jail, was held on charges of possession of paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and resisting law enforcement.

* At 2:20 p.m. on June 8, Hickory Smith, 24, Brazil, was arrested by Officer Nick Eastham for a reported theft at the Greencastle Walmart store.

Lodged in the Putnam County Jail, Smith is alleged to have shoplifted shampoo, conditioner and a phone charger dock. The items were listed as totaling $47.80.

Two recent property-damage accidents were investigated by city officers.

* At 12:21 p.m. Friday, a two-vehicle mishap was reported at the Bloomington Street entrance to Robe-Ann Park.

Sgt. Ed Wilson reported that Traci Miller, 48, Greencastle, had stopped her 2002 Jeep Liberty, waiting to enter Bloomington Street, when it was struck from behind by a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Laura Hatton, 35, Cloverdale.

Hatton said she could not stop in time to avoid the collision.

Total damage was estimated at $2,500-$5,000.

* At 2:28 p.m. on June 6, a two-vehicle accident was reported on Franklin Street, just east of Vine Street.

Darrell Lawson, 55, Greencastle, was eastbound on Franklin Street, driving a 2004 Chevrolet truck, when a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, driven by Angeline Salisbury, 59, Bainbridge, pulled away from a parking space in front of PNC Bank and struck the Lawson truck.

An ensuing abrupt stop by Lawson caused landscaping stones in the bed of his truck to shift forward, damaging the rear wall of the cab.

Salisbury told Officer Darrel Bunten she he did see the Lawson vehicle, which must have been in her blindspot as she attempted to pull out.

Total damage in the mishap was estimated at $5,000-$10,000.

Sheriff's Department

Putnam County Sheriff's Department deputies investigated seven recent property-damage crashes.

* At 6:50 a.m. on Sunday, Jeremiah Buttery, 18, Reelsville, was southbound on Manhattan Road in a 1993 Dodge Dakota.

Buttery told Capt. Tom Helmer he had approximately three hours of sleep on Saturday before going to his factory job in Greencastle on the overnight shift. He said he apparently fell asleep and drifted off the road.

The vehicle crossed the northbound lane and left the east side of the road. It crossed the grass shoulder and hit a utility guy wire, continued southbound and hit a concrete block building housing a pumping station for Reelsville Water Authority.

The truck then spun around and came to rest east of the structure.

Buttery was able the exit the vehicle without assistance and was later transported to Putnam County Hospital.

The building suffered extensive damage, including the east wall being pushed off its foundation. The entire building suffered structural damage, but the water lines appeared to be unharmed.

Helmer was assisted at the scene by Deputy Scott Ducker as well as Reelsville Fire Department, Reelsville Water Authority and Duke Energy.

The truck was towed. Damage was estimated at $25,001-$50,000.

* At 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sheanna L. Webber, 27, Westfield, was northbound on County Road 500 West just north of County Road 275 South in a 2006 Ford Expedition. Webber told Deputy Matt Biggs she lost control while manipulating a GPS unit.

The SUV left the east side of the road, hitting a power pole and breaking it.

The vehicle was towed. Damage was estimated at $5,001-$10,000.

* At 8:24 p.m. on Saturday, Deputy Riley Houghton was dispatched a one-vehicle crash at 950 E. State Road 425 North.

Nerva Pride, Jamestown, told Houghton her 2007 Honda Civic had been parked on a hill in the driveway when it popped into gear. The vehicle rolled down the driveway, colliding with a concrete building at the bottom of the driveway.

Damage was estimated at $10,001-$25,000. The car was towed.

* At 5:50 p.m. on Saturday, Matthew J. Hargarten, 35, Danville, was pulling into a parking space at the Groveland BP in a 2011 Toyota FJC. A 2016 Toyota Highlander occupied by David M. Stopperich, Avon, was already parked in the lot.

Hargarten told Deputy Mike Downing he was pulling into a space next to Stopperich's minivan when the driver's door opened. Hargarten could not stop and collided with the door.

Stopperich said he was exiting his minivan when Hargarten collided with the door.

Damage was estimated at $2,501-$5,000.

* At 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Bradley W. Piersall, 48, Fillmore, was northbound on County Road 750 East in a 2006 Chevrolet Aveo.

Piersall told Capt. Helmer he was suffering from bronchitis and began coughing. He said he couldn't get any air in his lungs and apparently blacked out.

The car left the road, entered a ditch and sideswiped a utility pole before hitting a fence.

The car was towed. Damage was estimated at $2,501-$5,000.

* At 8:58 a.m. on Friday, Lauren L. Smoot, 28, Greencastle, was southbound on U.S. 231 in a 2002 Buick Rendezvous. Smoot was stopped, waiting to turn in a driveway.

William G. Sullivan, 66, Greencastle, was also southbound in a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, attempting to go around Smoot's vehicle on the right.

Jeremiah N. McCreery, 31, Brazil, was southbound, approaching the other two vehicles in a 2014 Ford Mustang.

McCreery told Deputy Ducker he looked away from the road for a second and looked up to see the other vehicles stopped in front of him. He said he could not brake fast enough.

McCreery's car rear-ended both vehicles, pushing Smoot's car across the oncoming lane and into the driveway, while Sullivan continued into an embankment.

McCreery's Mustang was towed. Ducker was assisted by Capt. Helmer and Greencastle Police Sgt. Ed Wilson.

Damage was estimated at $10,001-$25,000.

* At 1:01 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, Jimmy H. Castro, 39, Marshall, Mo., was westbound on Interstate 70 near the 45-mile marker in a 2016 Freightliner tractor-trailer.

Castro explained to Deputy Houghton that he felt something in the back end of his trailer as if he had blown a tire. He then looked in his mirrors and observed sparks.

Pulling over, he found damage to his trailer as well as a vehicle off the road on fire.

That vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Caravan registered to Michelle L. Robbins, 36, Indianapolis, was unoccupied upon the arrival of deputies.

The Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department arrived and put out the flames. The minivan was towed.

Two days later, deputies located Robbins and determined that she was the driver.

Damage was estimated at $5,001-$10,000.

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department recently responded to two dispatches and one lift assist.

* At 4:59 p.m. on Sunday, GFD responded to a fire alarm due to cooking at 420 Anderson St.

* At 7:18 p.m. on Monday, GFD responded to a fire alarm at 1109 Indiana St. The approved adjustment of a pull station went awry, causing the alarm to break. GFD ultimately reset the alarm and returned to station.

Information included in the Putnam Scanner is taken from reports provided to the Banner Graphic by the Greencastle Police, the Greencastle Fire and the Putnam County Sheriff's departments.

Individuals listed in the blotter have been arrested on probable cause and have not been formally charged. Charging information may change after an initial arrest.

Questions about listed charging information should be directed to the arresting agency.