At approximately 2:38 p.m. Monday, officers from the Indiana State Police, the Kokomo Police Department, and the Howard County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 931 at Center Road, which injured a Kokomo woman.
The preliminary crash investigation by Master Trooper Matt Rogers revealed that Master Trooper Aaron Schaal, 43, was driving a 2011 Dodge Charger police car northbound on U.S. 931 approaching the intersection at Center Road. The police car had a green light and proceeded through the intersection. A 2014 Chrysler 200, driven by Debra Attebury, 62, Kokomo, attempted an eastbound turn, onto Center Road, from southbound U.S. 931. The Chrysler, which had a flashing yellow turn arrow, struck the police car in the driver’s side. A yellow turn arrow means a driver must yield to oncoming traffic and can only turn when the intersection is clear.
Attebury was transported, by ambulance, to a Kokomo hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Master Trooper Schaal was not injured.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts, which Master Trooper Rogers believes helped reduce the severity of injuries suffered in the crash.
Master Trooper Schaal was on-duty, on routine patrol, at the time of the crash. He is an 18-year veteran of the department and assigned to the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.
This is an ongoing investigation, but as this time neither the use of alcohol nor narcotics is suspected as being a contributing factor in the crash.