Putnam Scanner for Oct. 15, 2021

County Jail

Seventeen people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

Thursday

• At 12:13 a.m. Jerry A. Fox, 52, Stilesville, was lodged at the jail for driving while intoxicated.

Wednesday

• At 5:55 p.m. Kevin R. Patterson, 44, Terre Haute, was taken into custody on a warrant for harassment.

• At 5:01 p.m. Robert L. Rexroat, 26, Indianapolis, was housed at the jail on a hold for a Marion County warrant.

• At 12:59 p.m. Heath A. Cloncs, 34, Roachdale, was booked in on a warrant for invasion of privacy.

• At 5:17 a.m. Elizabeth L. Schick, 29, Reelsville, was lodged at the jail on a warrant for theft and counterfeiting.

• At 5:09 a.m. Denis Makic, 30, Fort Wayne, was taken into custody on a warrant for possession of methamphetamine and driving while intoxicated.

• At 2:15 a.m. Jack A. Taylor, 52, Martinsville, was housed at the jail on a warrant for driving while intoxicated.

Tuesday

• At 11:35 p.m. Troy S. Martin, 23, Terre Haute, was booked in on a warrant for possession of methamphetamine.

• At 5:18 p.m. Jennifer L. Stutz, 34, Zionsville, was lodged at the jail on a warrant for possession of methamphetamine.

• At 4:07 p.m. Benjamin T. O’Hair, 36, Russellville, was taken into custody on a local warrant.

• At 1:42 p.m. Adam W. Smith, 37, Greencastle, was housed at the jail on a local warrant.

• At 10:54 a.m. Michael J. Thompson, 30, Brazil, was booked in on a warrant for driving with a suspended license.

• At 6:50 a.m. Matthew C. Terry, 18, Poland, was lodged at the jail for battery resulting in bodily injury.

Monday

• At 6:16 p.m. Noah R. Underwood, 19, Brazil, was taken into custody for criminal mischief.

Sunday

• At 3:02 a.m. John J. Blalock, 42, Brazil, was housed at the jail for driving with an ACE of .15 or more.

Friday

• At 8:51 p.m. James E. Wilson III, 29, Clayton, was booked in for driving while intoxicated.

• At 9:41 a.m. Belissa R. O’Conner, 37, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for probation violation.

City Police

A Chicago semi driver was involved in two separate property-damage accidents Tuesday evening on business parking lots, Greencastle City Police reported.

• At 6:29 p.m. Tuesday, Joann Williams, 37, Chicago, was driving a 2013 Freightliner when she attempted to turn around in the parking lot at On Target, 711 N. Jackson St.

Officer Alec Pettit responded to what was reported as a hit-and-run accident after an employee said the On Target sign had been struck.

Damage in the incident was estimated at $1,000-$2,500. The trailer of the semi showed damage consistent with a side-swipe incident, police said.

Williams reportedly left On Target northbound on Jackson Street before turning onto side streets as the On Target owner followed the semi.

• At 6:50 p.m. Tuesday, Officer Jared McDaniel responded to a mishap in the Walmart store parking lot as Williams’ rig showed heavy damage to the passenger side, including the wheels, tires and side of the trailer.

The semi reportedly struck the southeast corner of the building, along with a yellow concrete post and retaining wall.

Estimated damage was listed at $2,500-$5,000 in the second accident involving Williams and the semi.

• At 1:50 p.m. Wednesday, a two-vehicle accident was reported at the intersection of Washington and Wood streets.

Assistant Chief Brian Hopkins reported that William Etienne, 61, Greencastle, was eastbound on Washington Street and stopped for a red light at Wood Street when his 2008 Ford F-150 was struck from behind by a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Elizabeth Flatter, 34, Indianapolis.

Flatter was also reportedly eastbound on Washington Street when her vehicle rear-ended the Etienne truck.

Total damage was estimated at $1,000-$2,500.

• At 1:44 p.m. Tuesday, a two-vehicle mishap was reported in the Aldi’s parking area at Putnam Plaza.

Assistant Chief Hopkins reported that Julia Nihiser, 54, Clayton, was exiting the Aldi’s lot and her 2017 Chevrolet Equinox collided with an eastbound 2007 Chevrolet Impala driven by Troy Gorham, 51, Greencastle.

A witness told police the Nihiser was traveling at a high rate of speed prior to the collision, Hopkins reported.

Sheriff’s Office

Putnam County sheriff’s deputies investigated five recent property-damage crashes.

• At 8:55 p.m. on Monday, Cheecoawa A. Withrow, 23, Greencastle, was westbound on County Road 700 South in a 2014 Chevrolet Equinox.

Withrow told Deputy Robert Soilleux she was approaching a bend in the road when she was forced off the road by a large dark-colored “dually” pickup truck that was on her side of the road. She said she was forced to swerve right and into the ditch to avoid a head-on collision.

By the tire marks, Soilleux observed that the vehicle entered the ditch just prior to reaching the bend in the road and then crashed into a pair of wooden posts before entering a cornfield and running over several rows of corn.

The vehicle suffered front-end, passenger side and undercarriage damage and had to be towed.

Withrow complained of right should pain and was seen by medics at the scene.

Withrow was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine and was booked in the Putnam County Jail at 10:12 p.m. on felony charges.

Soilleux estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, Levi A. Boswell, 19, Greencastle, was westbound on U.S. 40 in a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado when he hit a deer.

The vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage, pushing the radiator toward the engine, breaking out the grille and the driver’s side headlight. The truck was towed.

Deputy Daniel Birt estimated damage at $2,500-$5,000.

• At 2:19 p.m. on Sunday, Robert J. Triphahn, 65, St. Clair, Mo., was pulling away f rom a pump at the Cloverdale Casey’s General Store gas station in a 2014 Ford F-250.

Triphahn had to make a wide right turn so that the trailer he was pulling would clear the fuel station. In doing so, the front bumper of his truck struck the rear bumper of a parked 2013 Dodge Charger registered to Tracy Trivett of Cloverdale.

Cpl. Brian Helmer estimated damage at $1,000-$2,500.

• At 11:46 a.m. on Sunday, Robert J. Hibbard, 68, Spencer, was pulling into the Cloverdale Casey’s in a 1998 Dodge Ram pulling a trailer.

While trying to turn into one of the pump lanes, Hibbard’s trailer hit a parked 2019 Buick Envoy registered to Jamie Ragan of Indianapolis.

Cpl. Helmer estimated damage at $1,000-$2,500.

• At 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, Justin R. Swick, 30, Rockville, was eastbound on U.S. 36, approaching the intersection with U.S. 231 in a 2005 Ford Escape. Corbin G. Roemer, 33, Bloomingdale, was westbound, approaching the intersection in a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Swick was attempting to turn north onto U.S. 231 and turned in front of Roemer’s vehicle, with the front ends of the two vehicles colliding and causing heavy damage.

Swick told Cpl. Helmer he did not know what had happened, that he was turning north and the next thing he knew, he heard the sound of crunching sheet metal.

Roemer said Swick pulled into his path of travel and he could not avoid a collision.

Putnam County EMS transported Swick to Putnam County Hospital. Roemer suffered minor bleeding but was not transported. He said he was going to have his family take him to the hospital to be checked out.

Additionally, Roemer told Helmer the vehicle was not insured and he was cited for driving without financial responsibility.

Both vehicles were towed. Helmer estimated damage at $25,000-$50,000.

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department recently performed eight medical assists and had two disregards.

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.