Pursuit in Kosciusko County ends when man crashes Jeep into water-filled ditch

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) - A Warsaw man is facing charges after landing his Jeep in a water-filled ditch following a pursuit in Kosciusko County.

Indiana State Police (ISP) says around 10 p.m. on May 16, 2022, a State Trooper saw a Jeep commit a moving violation going north on Indiana 15, the State Police said in a statement. When the trooper approached the car, the driver, Austin Zarse, 27, sped off.

During the pursuit that followed, Zarse went off the road near County Road 900 North through a field until it went down an embankment into the Coppes Ditch, state police say. State Police say the Jeep became disabled in 3-feet of water. The trooper saw Zarse then dump bags of an unknown substance into the water.

Zarse was medically cleared from crashing into the ditch and being in cold water. He was then arrested and charged with resisting law enforcement, obstruction of justice, and reckless driving. Zarse is in the Kosciusko County Jail.