For the police officer, the man’s body language was the giveaway. His combative stance and his abrupt hand movement hinted at the possibility of danger.A car fleeing from police crashed early Saturday in Kosciusko County, causing an 18-year-old passenger to lose part of her leg, the sheriff’s department said.
The driver, Andrew Gabbard, 19, of Wawaka, and his passenger, Alexandra Hernandez, 18, of Cromwell, had to be extricated from the wrecked car, a 2007 Pontiac G6. Both were flown to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne.
Saturday evening, Gabbard was in serious but stable condition with a possible broken arm, and Hernandez was in critical condition with multiple broken bones, internal injuries and an amputation of her lower leg, according to the sheriff’s department.
The department said the chase started after a sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a domestic battery at a home near Syracuse.
The deputy arrived at the home shortly after 2 a.m., but no one answered the door. He noticed a car drive away from the home, and when he tried to pull it over, the driver would not stop.
Heading east on County Road 1250 North, the car ran a stop sign at Northeast Wawasee Drive, skidded sideways and hit two pine trees on the north side of the road.
The car then rolled over, trapping Gabbard and Hernandez.
The crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.
