Putnam Scanner for 4-5-17

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

County Jail

Five people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

Monday

• At 3:04 p.m. Chris Edward Neath, 56, Greencastle, was housed at the jail on a court order.

Saturday

• At 5:11 p.m. Sampson Michael Cook, 26, Indianapolis, was lodged at the jail on a local traffic warrant.

• At 9:49 a.m. Hunter Scott Neal, 20, Greencastle, was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine and a PutnamCounty warrant (original charge conspiracy to commit burglary).

• At 1:32 a.m. Paul Edward Alleyn, 51, Fillmore, was arrested for domestic battery and invasion of privacy.

• At 1:10 a.m. Kallie Annette Pruitt, 24, Greencastle, was housed at the jail for battery.

• At 12:48 a.m. Mark Anthony Fox, 45, Reelsville, was charged with invasion of privacy.

Sheriff’s Department

A Brazil man was taken to the hospital Sunday and also faces traffic charges following a Sunday incident involving an ATV and alcohol.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m., Dennis L. Lovett Jr., 35, Brazil, and Daniel S. Hayden, Bainbridge, were westbound on County Road 850 North on a pair of four-wheelers.

Randall G. Delp, 36, Indianapolis, was eastbound on 850 North in a 1993 Ford Explorer.

Delp told Deputy Robert Soilleux that as he approached a bend in the road, he saw the two ATVs westbound on his side of the road. He added that both men were driving one-handed, as they were holding beers with the other hand.

Delp swerved into the oncoming lane to avoid the four-wheelers.

Lovett also swerved, running off the left side of the road into the ditch. Upon hitting the embankment in the ditch, Lovett fell off the ATV and back into the roadway.

Both Lovett and Delp believed that Lovett may have struck the side of Delp’s vehicle. However, Soilleux and Deputy Jeffery Freeman could not find evidence of this. Additionally, Hayden, who witnessed the crash but was not directly involved, did not say that Lovett hit the SUV.

Operation Life transported Lovett from the scene for treatment of neck and back pain.

Lovett admitted to deputies that he had been drinking, “about four beers.” A blood test was administered, but results were not available with the accident report.

He was charged with Class A misdemeanor driving with a suspended license as well as issued tickets for failure to register and driving left of center.

Damage was estimated at less than $1,000.

Putnam County sheriff’s deputies responded to four other recent property-damage crashes.

• At 5:40 a.m. on Monday, Breanna L. Eastep, 23, Monrovia, was westbound on State Road 240 approaching County Road 450 East in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix.

Eastep told Deputy Matt Biggs he lost control on wet pavement and left the north side of the road, colliding with an earthen embankment. The vehicle then flipped, striking a utility pole and several trees.

The car came to rest on the passenger side. Eastep was able to exit before Biggs arrived.

Eastep was transported to Putnam County Hospital for a lower left leg injury.

The car was towed. Damage was estimated at $1,001-$2,500.

• At 10:40 p.m. on Sunday, Stacy L. Barclay, 34, Greencastle, was southbound on U.S. 231 approaching County Road 300 North in a 2009 Toyota Camry when she hit a deer.

Reserve Deputy Ken Rozelle estimated damage at $1,001-$2,500.

• At 8:08 a.m. on Sunday, Kenneth J. Heigle Jr., 17, Coatesville, was eastbound on U.S. 36 approaching County Road 725 East in Groveland in a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire.

Reserve Deputy Gordon Stone reported that the car left the road for an unknown reason and hit a farm fence, continuing through the grass another 100 yards.

The car was towed. Damage was estimated at $1,001-$2,500.

• At 10:23 a.m. on Thursday, Curtis Moore, 33, Greencastle, was westbound on U.S. 36 approaching Bainbridge in a 2005 truck registered to Suburban Propane.

Moore told Deputy Virgil Lanning he was being passed by a black SUV when a deer entered the road. The driver of the SUV, Sandra Harding of Indianapolis, braked hard and veered back into the right lane.

To avoid colliding with the SUV, Moore steered into the ditch, where the vehicle struck an embankment and rolled over, coming to rest on the driver’s side.

Moore was not injured in the crash. The truck was towed.

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

City Police

One recent alcohol-related offense was reported by Greencastle City Police.

• At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jayne Selvia, 56, Greencastle, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated on the city’s East Side.

Stopped by Officer Alec Pettit at Indianapolis Road and State Road 240, Selvia registered a .124 blood-alcohol content.

She was transported to the Putnam County Jail.

Three recent motor vehicle accidents were investigated by city officers.

• At 12:55 p.m. Monday, a two-vehicle mishap was reported on South Jackson near Seminary Street.

Officer Darrel Bunten reported that Sarah Lemay, 51, Marshall, Ill., was southbound on Jackson Street, driving a 2016 Ford Focus, approaching Seminary Street, when a 2008 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Makayla Hampton, 20, Greencastle, pulled out of Seminary Street into Lemay’s path as Hampton attempted to cross Jackson Street.

The resulting collision caused an estimated $5,000-$10,000 damage.

• At 10:33 p.m. Friday, a two-vehicle accident occurred on State Road 240 near Capital Drive.

Officer Zach Rhine reported that Brian Merchant, 54, Spencer, was eastbound on State Road 240, driving a 2006 GMC truck when a 1998 Chevrolet truck, driven by Yolanda Barnes, 24, Terre Haute, turned left off of Capital Drive in front of the Merchant vehicle. Her brakes locked up when she attempted to stop.

Merchant sustained minor injuries and was transported to Putnam County Hospital via Operation Life ambulance.

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

Barnes was cited for an infraction of driving with a suspended license.

• At 10 a.m. March 29, a minor mishap was reported on Illinois Street near Apple Street as Rodney Cline, 59, Cloverdale, was backing the county animal control truck, a 2004 Dodge, from a driveway.

With the animal cage obstructing his view, Cline was unable to see a parked 2002 Hyundai owned by Dillon Terry as he backed out and struck the car without realizing it until a witness reported it.

Damage was listed as less than $1,000 by Capt. Chris Jones.

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department recently responded to two dispatches.

• At 4:23 p.m. on Monday, GFD responded to a fire alarm due to cooking at 106 S. Spring St. GFD reset the alarm and subsequently returned to station at 4:49 p.m.

• At 10:36 p.m. on Monday, GFD responded to reports of a motor-vehicle accident at 2200 E. State Road 240. Operation Life was present and cared for minor injuries while GFD cleared debris from the roadway. GFD then returned to station at 11:24 p.m.

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.