What InkFreeNews reported
A Churubusco driver has been arrested and charged with causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 5 felony, after a pedestrian was struck at US 33 and SR 205. InkFreeNews published the update[1] on October 7, 2026.
According to InkFreeNews, police said a 30-year-old Churubusco woman struck a woman on foot with a pickup truck at the intersection on June 26. The article does not state the year of the crash. The Churubusco Police Department investigated.
InkFreeNews reported that the pedestrian suffered a crushing injury to her left foot with an open wound, extensive bruising to her foot, leg and around her left eye, and abrasions to her face and ankle. She has used a cane and wheelchair since the crash.
The report said a toxicology result received August 31 was positive for THC. The driver reportedly told officers that she used marijuana daily but denied using it that day. A charge is an accusation, and the driver is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What accident victims should do next
If you are injured in a pedestrian crash, keep every medical record, including documentation for a cane, wheelchair, therapy visits and future treatment plans. You should also preserve photographs, insurance correspondence and other material that may help document what happened. This guide explains what evidence can support an Indiana accident claim.
You can request the investigating agency's crash report after it becomes available. A police report is not a final determination of civil liability. The firm's guide on obtaining an Indiana crash report explains the records process.
You may also ask the prosecutor's office for a victim advocate who can explain the criminal case and the victim's rights. A criminal prosecution and a civil claim are separate. Restitution in a criminal case may not cover every claimed loss, including lost income, future care, or pain and suffering.
Why location and insurance matter
The crash happened at a state highway intersection in Churubusco, in Whitley County. An Indiana civil case is usually filed in the county where the crash happened or where a defendant lives.
The general deadline to file an injury claim in Indiana is two years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-4. That period generally runs from the date of the crash, not the date of a criminal charge.
Indiana's minimum liability limits under Ind. Code 9-25-4-5 may not cover all losses arising from serious injuries. If you have auto insurance, policy-dependent medical payments or uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may apply even when you were walking. Indiana insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage under Ind. Code 27-7-5-2.
Indiana's modified comparative fault rule under Ind. Code 34-51-2-6 reduces recovery by an injured person's percentage of fault and bars recovery when that person's fault is greater than 50 percent. The firm's explanation of Indiana's comparative fault rule provides more context.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm helps people in Whitley County and across northeast Indiana who are hurt because of another person's carelessness on Indiana roads, including pedestrians hurt by impaired drivers.
A Fort Wayne pedestrian accident attorney can explain how a civil claim proceeds alongside a criminal case, review available insurance and identify applicable deadlines. Insurance companies may aggressively defend fault, causation and the extent of claimed losses, so careful documentation matters. No outcome can be promised in any case.
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.
