A late night Wednesday crash involving a Kokomo police officer resulted in the death of one Kokomo woman as Indiana State Police troopers investigate whether substances were involved in the accident.
On Jan. 8, just after 11:30 p.m., members of the Indiana State Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Kokomo Police Department reportedly responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash near the intersection of State Road 931 and Vaile Avenue in Kokomo where a Kokomo woman died.
A preliminary investigation reportedly revealed that Kokomo Police Officer Jeremiah Wilson was on duty driving his fully marked patrol vehicle northbound on State Road 931, approaching Vaile Avenue, when a 2010 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Timmothy Bergesen, 32, of Kokomo that was traveling eastbound on Vaile Avenue entered the northbound lanes of State Road 931 directly in front of Wilson. Reports state that Wilson attempted to avoid the collision but was unsuccessful as he struck the Ford on its passenger side.
The passenger, who was identified as Vicky Hollingsworth, 55, of Kokomo, succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Howard County Coroner’s Office. Wilson reportedly suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital before being released.
According to reports, during the course of the investigation, troopers developed probable cause to believe Bergesen was under the influence of suspected alcohol, and he was transported to a nearby hospital for a certified test and later transferred to an Indianapolis hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The results are currently pending for the certified test.
Once the investigation is completed, the full report will be submitted to the Howard County Prosecutor’s Office for review and determination of charges that may be filed. The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available to release at this time.
