Man arraigned on charges following double fatal crash
CENTREVILLE – The suspect involved in last month’s two-vehicle crash that killed two Indiana women in White Pigeon Township was arraigned Thursday.
Harley Jay Bontrager, 19, appeared with his attorney, Jessica LaFond, before District Court Judge Jeff Middleton. Bontrager, a LaGrange County, Indiana resident, was raised Amish; more than two dozen Amish attended the hearing, though it wasn’t clear if their presence was for Bontrager or on behalf of the victims: 29-year-old Rosalie M. Yoder and 27-year-old Marcia Ann Miller.
Both women were from Shipshewana.
Bontrager, who is free on $40,000 cash/surety bond, is charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.
During the 11-minute proceeding, Middleton explained Bontrager has the right to a preliminary examination.
“Is there probable cause to believe a crime was committed? Is there probable cause to believe (Bontrager) did it? If that’s so, the matter will be transferred to circuit court for trial,” Middleton said. “He also has the right to waive that hearing after discussing this with his lawyer, getting all the police reports, photographs, autopsy reports and accident reports (then) determine just by reading all of that (whether) there is enough probable cause, and (Bontrager) can waive the right to have that hearing and simply have the matter transferred to circuit court.”
Middleton set the pre-exam for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 1 and the preliminary examination for 1 p.m. Aug. 8.
Middleton shed light on the process, which will lead to the gathering of evidence in this case.
“There may be accident-reconstruction experts looking at the scene,” he said. “Modern vehicles have a device we call a black box in the vehicle, which … can show how fast the vehicle was going, when the brakes were applied, things I didn’t have when I was a prosecutor.
“There may also be waiting for laboratory reports regarding blood-alcohol level or other things,” Middleton added.
Middleton reviewed Bontrager’s bond conditions, which include refraining from the use of alcohol or drugs, not use or be in possession of firearms, and not to have any assaultive or threatening behavior.
Middleton also noted he is familiar with Bontrager being the age at which the Amish experience a concept called, “rumspringa,” an indefinite period of time during which young Amish men and women decide whether to join the church and be baptized as an adult member.
LaFond noted that Bontrager’s permanent address is a location in LaGrange County but he temporarily resides in Sherman Township. Middleton said Bontrager is free to cross the state line into Indiana to visit family or for employment.
It is alleged that on June 30, Bontrager was behind the wheel of an Escalade heading west on Indian Prairie Road when it attempted to pass a Chevy Cobalt while in a no-passing zone. Authorities said Bontrager possibly misjudged his clearance from the car and his vehicle struck the Cobalt, sending it off the roadway.
Yoder and Miller were two of four people in the Cobalt, neither was driving.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Man arraigned on charges following double fatal crash
