Kosciusko County crash injures two

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - A police pursuit in Kosciusko County early Saturday morning ended with a car hitting a tree and two being people airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department said deputies were first called to a domestic battery incident in the Syracuse area. The officers were attempting to find one of the suspects that had left the original scene. When a deputy arrived at a home on County Road 1300 North around 2 a.m., no one answered the door.

But, right after the officer left, he noticed a car that had been parked at the home drive off.

The deputy caught up to the 2007 Pontiac G6 and tried to make a traffic stop. But, the driver of the car didn't stop and continued driving, eventually going east on County Road 1250 North.

As the suspect car blew through a stop sign, the driver lost control and it started to skid sideways. The car hit two pine trees, shearing off the top of one, and then rolled over.

Syracuse E.M.S. and fire rescue extricated two people from the car. Andrew W. Gabbard, 19, of Wawaka, was driving. Samaritan airlifted him to Parkview Regional Medical Center, where he was last listed in serious but stable condition with a possible broken arm and other minor injuries.

The passenger, Alexandra I. Hernandez, 18, of Cromwell, was also airlifted to Parkview. She was last listed in critical condition with several fractures, internal injuries and a lower leg amputation.

The crash is still under investigation pending blood draw results.