Putnam Scanner for 1-6-16

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

County Jail

Several people have been booked into the Putnam County Jail recently.

* At 1 p.m. on Thursday, Troy Michael Odell, 37, Terre Haute, was housed at the jail for driving with a suspended license.

At 11:45 p.m. Charles William Pingleton, 53, Greencastle, was booked in on a Parke County warrant for driving with a suspended license with a prior conviction.

* At 8:36 a.m. on Friday, Adam Michael Perkins, 27, Indianapolis, was taken into custody for operating while intoxicated and possession of marijuana.

At 7:46 p.m. Tyler Patrick, 72, Fillmore, was housed at the jail for battery resulting in bodily injury.

At 9 p.m. Garry Dean Rigney Jr., 34, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for parole violation.

* At 4:55 p.m. on Saturday, Eric Whitehead, 37, no city listed, was booked in for trespassing and resisting law enforcement.

At 8:45 p.m. Angela Carter, 42, Greencastle, was taken into custody for theft.

At 11:42 p.m. Angela Fay Abney, 47, no city listed, was housed at the jail for operating while intoxicated and possession of marijuana.

* At 9:01 a.m. on Sunday, Daniel Suggett, 53, no city listed, was lodged at the jail for driving with a suspended license.

At 9:01 a.m. Tara Marie Thompson, 33, Cloverdale, was booked in for theft.

* At 1:58 p.m. on Monday, Gary Lee Means, 44, Cloverdale, was taken into custody for probation violation.

City Police

A 23-year-old Bainbridge woman was arrested after a one-car accident in Greencastle late New Year's Eve, City Police reported.

Joanna Benassi was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants (prescription drugs) following the 11:22 p.m. accident in the 400 block of East Washington Street.

Benassi was also cited for an infraction of driving with a suspended license, Sgt. Eric Vaughan reported.

She reportedly lost control of her vehicle, which ended up flipped onto its side. No damage estimate was available from GPD.

Benassi was initially taken to Putnam County Hospital by Sgt. Vaughan before been taken to the Putnam County Jail to be booked in there.

City Police officers investigated one additional property-damage accident recently, responding to a two-vehicle mishap .

The 4:24 p.m. New Year's Day mishap occurred on the Walmart store parking lot as Jared Bruner, 22, Greencastle, was backing a 2004 Pontiac Montana from a parking space and failed to see that a 2015 Hyundai Sonata, driven by Joyce Hale, 65, Sarasota, Fla., had already backed out behind him.

Officer Nick Eastham noted that the Hale vehicle, owned by Payless Car Rental, Indianapolis, was in Bruner's blindspot as she backed out to go northbound to exit the lot.

Bruner reportedly backed his vehicle into the door of the rental vehicle driven by Hale.

Officer Eastham estimated total damage at $2,500-$5,000.

One recent speeding citation was issued by Greencastle officers.

* At 7:20 a.m. Thursday, Anthony Marvel, 21, Terre Haute, was ticketed by GPD Reserve Officer Billy Wallace.

Stopped on Bloomington Street, Marvel was ticketed for 52 mph in a 30-mph zone.

Sheriff's Department

Putnam County sheriff's deputies have responded to six recent property-damage accidents.

* At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30, Mikayla R. Oliver, 21, Greencastle, was northbound on U.S. 231 about a half-mile south of U.S. 36 in a 2015 Chevrolet sedan when she hit a deer.

Reserve Deputy Ken Rozelle estimated damage at $1,001-$2,500. The car was towed because of radiator damage.

* At 1:10 a.m. on Friday Derek K. Ummel, 17, Greencastle, was northbound on County Road 100 East in a 2003 Acura, going through a bend in the road when a deer ran into the road.

Ummel told Deputy Matt Biggs he swerved left to avoid the animal and hit an earth embankment on the north side of the road. The vehicle then spun 180 degrees and slid backward into the road and down a small embankment.

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

* At 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Chad M. Fiscus, 30, Danville, was southbound on County Road 200 West in a 1998 Honda Accord.

Deputy Biggs reported that the car left the road and went down an embankment, striking a fence.

Fiscus was cited for driving with a suspended license with a prior conviction.

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

* At 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, Cody T. Storkman, 23, Bainbridge, was northbound on County Road 500 North in a 2015 Toyota Prius when a deer ran into the front passenger side.

Deputy Biggs estimated damage as $2,501-$5,000.

* At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jason L. McClellan, 36, Coatesville, was southbound on Dunbar Road near Dunbar Bridge in a 2010 Ford F150 when he hit a deer.

Deputy Anthony Brown estimated damage as $1,001-$2,500.

* At 10:55 a.m. on Monday, Raymond A. Strange, 36, Greencastle, was northwest bound on County Road 525 East in a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am. Strange told Capt. Tom Helmer a vehicle traveling southeast was left of center and he swerved right to avoid the collision.

Strange said his right tires left the road and he lost control of the car. Yaw marks indicated the vehicle was left of center before leaving the right side of the road, with the vehicle hitting an earthen embankment, then trees.

The car spun 180 degrees, causing the left rear quarter panel to impact a post holding three mailboxes.

Following the crash, the driver reportedly left the scene.

On his way to the crash, Capt. Tom Helmer drove past 5324 E. U.S. 40 and noticed a vehicle matching the crash description in the parking lot next to an apartment and a man surveying the car.

Helmer stopped and questioned the man, who said he was the driver. Asked why he left the scene, Strange could not answer.

He was cited for failure to stop for a property-damage accident.

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

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department recently responded to two dispatches and one medical run.

* At 5:04 a.m. on Monday, GFD responded to a fire alarm at 602 S. College Ave. GFD reset the alarm after it was unable to locate the detector at fault.

* At 8:13 a.m. on Monday, GFD responded to assist the Cloverdale Fire Department by covering its station while Cloverdale crews were battling a structure fire at 51 Market St. in Cloverdale.

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.