A police chase through Kosciusko and Whitley County landed two suspects in jail and damaged a Kosciusko County sheriff’s vehicle.
Shortly after 10 am Friday, October 14, Pierceton Town Marshal Tim Sammons viewed a potential suspect vehicle involved in a residential burglary in the Nappanee area from yesterday, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Chad Hill.
Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Detective Shane Bucher and Sammons then attempted a traffic stop on a black Dodge Ram pickup truck near the intersection of U.S. 30 and State Road 13.
The suspect vehicle refused to stop and fled into Whitley County.
Officers from Columbia City and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department attempted to deploy spike strips along U.S. 30, but the suspect vehicle diverted onto Lincoln Highway, entering into Columbia City.
The pursuit then traveled south onto Line Street, and then to State Road 205 where the suspect left the travel portion of the roadway into a field due to a construction road closure.
Bucher’s squad car was struck by the suspect’s Dodge Ram pickup truck as they were in the field, at which point both vehicles then reentered onto State Road 205.
Bucher had positioned his Dodge Charger in front of the suspect, at which point the suspect accelerated and struck the rear portion of his police vehicle; incapacitating both vehicles.
The driver, Jeffery Uriah Mast, 25, of Nappanee, and passenger, Pamela Sue McGreevy, 50, of Pierceton, were then taken into custody by officers.
Bucher was transported from the scene by Parkview Whitley E.M.S. to the Kosciusko Community Hospital for standard evaluation. Mast was also transported to K.C.H. after he reportedly told officers that he had ingested methamphetamine during the actual pursuit. Detective Bucher has since been released from the hospital. Mast is still currently being evaluated and is in fair/stable condition at K.C.H.
McGreevy was transported from the scene to the Kosciusko County Jail where she was arrested and preliminarily charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. Her bond is currently set at $5,250.
Mast will be arrested and preliminarily charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, flee/resisting arrest, and residential burglary.
Officers are currently seeking additional charges with officials in Whitley County as related to the events that occurred during the pursuit in that respective jurisdiction.
