ROANN — A Laketon man turned himself in to authorities on Monday following a multi-month investigation into a fatal single-vehicle crash that killed a juvenile passenger earlier this year, according to the Indiana State Police.
Jonathan T. Patton, 19, was charged with Operating a Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance Causing Death. A warrant was officially issued for Patton’s arrest on Friday, Sept. 11, and he surrendered to law enforcement on Monday, Sept. 14.
The charges stem from an incident on the evening of April 29, when emergency responders were dispatched shortly after 6:00 p.m. to a serious crash on County Road 700 West, just south of County Road 850 North near Roann.
A preliminary investigation conducted by ISP Master Trooper Jeremy Perez determined that Patton was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Caprice southbound on County Road 700 West when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.
A juvenile passenger in the vehicle suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Wabash County Coroner’s Office. Patton sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was flown by air ambulance to a regional hospital for treatment.
At the time of the initial report, state police noted that speed and the consumption of intoxicants were suspected factors in the collision.
Trooper Perez was assisted during the on-scene investigation by the Indiana State Police Peru District, Wabash County Sheriff’s Office, Roann Volunteer Fire Department, Wabash County EMA, and the Wabash County Coroner’s Office.
All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
