South Bend Woman Crashes after Pursuit in Miami County
Peru – This afternoon, a hit and run crash resulted in a South Bend woman being taken into custody after crashing her car while allegedly fleeing police.
Today at approximately 4:05 p.m., a silver Pontiac Bonneville allegedly struck a Dodge pickup truck on U.S. 31 near Fulton County Road 375 North. The Pontiac fled from the crash scene. A general dispatch was broadcasted requesting police officers to be on the lookout for the Bonneville. Approximately ten minutes later, Troopers Adam York and Luke Bowyer located a Bonneville matching the alleged hit and run vehicle. The Bonneville was traveling southbound on U.S. 31 near Miami County Road 950 North. The troopers, who were riding in the same state police car, activated the car’s emergency lighting and siren to initiate a traffic stop.
The Bonneville’s driver, later identified as Monica Shirhall, 35, South Bend, IN, accelerated refusing to stop. She led officers on an approximately 12 mile pursuit reaching a top speed near 90 miles per hour. The pursuit ended after Shirhall struck two separate set of stop sticks, causing a controlled deflation of the Bonneville’s tires. Shirhall continued to drive southbound but eventually traveled off the westside of U.S. 31, hitting a guardrail south of Logansport Road.
After crashing into the guardrail, Shirhall emerged from the car and tried to run away. She was quickly captured. Shirhall was transported to a Peru hospital where she was admitted for allegedly having an extremely high blood alcohol concentration. She was also treated for a laceration to her head. It is believed the laceration occurred in one of her two purported crashes. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in both of Shirhall’s alleged crashes.
Trooper York will present charges to the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office on Shirhall for fleeing a police officer with a vehicle and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She will also face a charge for leaving the scene of a property damage crash in Fulton County.
Trooper York was assisted with this case by officers from the Miami County Sheriff’s Department and the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Address/Location
Indiana State Police-Peru District 16-Peru, IN
1451 North Eel River Cemetery Road
Peru, IN 46970
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 765-473-6666