An arrest warrant has been issued in an April crash on County Road 700 West in Wabash County that killed a passenger. The charge is operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death. According to 21Alive[1], the warrant was issued Friday, August 28, 2026, and the driver was wanted and not in custody as of that date.
What happened
The crash occurred Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at approximately 6:10 p.m. in Pleasant Township, in rural Wabash County near Roann. According to 21Alive's report on the crash[2], a vehicle traveling southbound on County Road 700 West at a high rate of speed left the roadway, struck a tree, and split in half. A passenger died at the scene. The driver sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported for treatment.
According to 21Alive's account of the court records, investigators estimated a pre-crash speed between 118 and 126 miles per hour using yaw marks, the tire marks a vehicle leaves when it is traveling too fast through a curve. Those marks establish that the crash occurred on or approaching a curve. Court documents state that the driver was under the influence of THC at the time. That is the State's allegation in a charging document, not a proven fact, and the case is pending.
The Indiana State Police investigated, according to WIBC[3], along with Wabash County authorities. The underlying crash was also reported by The Journal Gazette[4], WOWO[5], and WBIW[6]. The August 28 warrant was reported by 21Alive.
What accident victims should do next
When a young passenger is killed or injured in a crash, a family may face two systems at once: a criminal case the family does not control and a civil claim with deadlines of its own. Neither one waits for the other. If your family is in that position, request the crash report from the investigating agency and ask whether a reconstruction was performed. You can also review how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Preserve the vehicle if you have any say in what happens to it. Modern vehicles may record speed and other data in the seconds before impact. Reconstruction also relies on physical evidence at the scene that can disappear quickly. Photographs of the roadway, the curve, and any remaining tire marks may matter. The firm's guide to passenger-vehicle EDR data explains why prompt preservation can be important.
A passenger's claim may involve the vehicle's insurance policy and, depending on the available coverage, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage through another applicable policy. Even when the driver was a friend or classmate, it can help to understand how the insurance claim works before making a decision.
Why location matters in Indiana injury claims
A crash in Wabash County will ordinarily be venued in the Wabash County courts. Wabash County authorities and the Indiana State Police responded and investigated, and those agencies hold the records.
When the person killed or injured is a minor, Indiana law may treat the claim differently. IC 34-23-2-1[7] governs an action for the death of a child and addresses who may bring it and what may be recovered. IC 34-11-6-1[8] tolls the limitations period for a person under a legal disability, including a minor, until the disability is removed. That tolling does not apply to a wrongful death claim brought by a parent, which runs on its own schedule.
Most Indiana personal injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the injury or death under IC 34-11-2-4[9]. Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[10]. An injured person whose own fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing; otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. You can read a plain-language explanation of Indiana's comparative fault rule.
Insurance coverage may affect what is practically available. Indiana's minimum auto liability insurance under IC 9-25-4-5[11] is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[12]. Depending on the policy and facts, that coverage can provide another potential source of recovery.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm can help your family identify available records, preserve evidence, review insurance coverage, and understand how a criminal case and a civil claim fit together. Insurance companies may aggressively defend fault, causation, and coverage questions, so careful preparation matters.
If your family is dealing with a death after a crash, you can learn more about working with a Fort Wayne wrongful death attorney. Delventhal Law Office offers a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Sources
- 21Alive (21alivenews.com) ↩
- 21Alive's report on the crash (21alivenews.com) ↩
- WIBC (wibc.com) ↩
- The Journal Gazette (journalgazette.net) ↩
- WOWO (wowo.com) ↩
- WBIW (wbiw.com) ↩
- IC 34-23-2-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-11-6-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-11-2-4 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-51-2-6 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
