LAGRANGE CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – Indiana State Police are investigating a crash involving a LaGrange County Sheriff’s deputy.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to a crash involving a GMC pickup truck and the deputy.
ISP says that an investigation indicated the deputy was traveling eastbound on State Road 120 with his emergency lights and sirens activated while responding to another call.
The truck was traveling northbound on County Road 100 East and failed to yield to the deputy.
The truck went into the path of the deputy. According to ISP, the deputy hit the truck, causing it to overturn and land on its top.
Police identified the driver of the pickup as Jamie Espinal-Albor, 33, of Sturgis, Michigan. First responders needed to extricate him from the vehicle. He was flown to the hospital with serious injuries.
Indiana State Police identified the deputy involved as Deputy Zachary Anderson, 34, of Middlebury, IN. Anderson was operating a fully marked LCSD 2021 Dodge Durango. He and his K9 partner were not injured. Medics did transport the deputy to a hospital to be checked out. Indiana State Police said both drivers provided a blood sample for chemical testing as required by Indiana law. The results are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
Indiana State Police released the following:
Troopers with the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne Post are investigating a serious personal injury crash that occurred yesterday afternoon involving a pickup truck and a Lagrange County Sherriff’s Department vehicle at the intersection of SR120 and County Road 100 East, LaGrange County.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, LaGrange County dispatch notified the Indiana State Police of a serious crash involving a blue 1994 GMC pickup and a Sheriff’s deputy’s vehicle on SR120 at 100E. Preliminary investigation by troopers indicates that a LaGrange County deputy was traveling eastbound on SR120 with his emergency lights and siren activated responding to an unrelated call. A blue 1994 GMC pickup truck traveling northbound on CR100E is alleged to have failed to yield to the emergency vehicle and pulled into the path of the deputy’s vehicle. The deputy’s vehicle struck the GMC causing the GMC to overturn and come to rest on its roof in the south ditch. The deputy’s vehicle came to rest upright in the north ditch. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage.
The driver of the GMC, Jamie Espinal-Albor, 33, of Sturgis, Michigan had to be extricated from the wreckage by the Howe Fire Department. He was then flown from the scene to Parkview Regional Hospital with serious injuries.
The LCSD deputy and his K9 partner were not injured, however the deputy was transported to Parkview hospital in LaGrange to be checked out. As required by Indiana law, both drivers provided a blood sample for chemical testing. Results of those tests are pending.
Along with the standard crash investigation, the Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction investigators also responded to assist in the investigation.
This is an ongoing investigation. At this time, there is no further information to release.
The Indiana State Police was assisted at the scene by the Howe Fire Department, Lagrange Police Department, Shipshewana Police Department, Parkview EMS, Lakeland Towing, and Grates Towing.
