A 41-year-old man from Crown Point has been charged in Porter County following an early-morning crash near Valparaiso, according to court records.
Joshua Pagel is accused in connection with a collision that occurred around 12:21 a.m. Feb. 21 at 500 West 100 South in Valparaiso. Authorities said the vehicle was found off the roadway with heavy front-end damage. A witness reported seeing the vehicle speed through a four-way intersection at a high rate of speed before the crash.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Pagel admitted he was driving at the time of the collision. Investigators noted signs of intoxication, including a strong odor of alcohol, watery and bloodshot eyes, and soiled clothing. Court documents state he refused field sobriety testing and declined a chemical breath test after being advised of Indiana’s implied consent law.
The crash resulted in serious bodily injury to another person, who had to be extricated from the vehicle by fire and EMS personnel.
Pagel was lodged in the Porter County Jail.
Charges filed Feb. 23 include:
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Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Serious Bodily Injury — Level 5 Felony
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Operating While Intoxicated Endangering a Person — Class A Misdemeanor