Suspect in fatal OWI crash appears in court

Oct. 15—GOSHEN — A Goshen man faces a trial next spring on accusations he was intoxicated and the cause of a four vehicle crash that killed a man near Elkhart three years ago.

Paul Throesch Jr., 36, appeared in Elkhart County Circuit Court for an initial hearing Thursday, following his arrest on a warrant earlier in the week.

Throesch is charged with Level 4 and Level 5 felony counts of causing death while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and two Level 6 felony counts of causing serious injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated in a case that was filed in November 2020.

The charges stem from a four-vehicle crash in which investigators said Throesch, as one of the drivers, pulled out from a gas station next to the Six Span Crossing shopping center and into the path of an oncoming box truck on C.R. 17 near the Ind. 120 intersection on Oct. 2, 2018, according to details in the probable cause affidavit in the case.

The vehicles collided, and the crash pushed the box truck into the opposite lanes where it was then struck by an SUV driven by Vincent Spirito of Elkhart. Spirito's SUV was then rear-ended by another oncoming SUV.

Spirito was injured in the crash, and he later died at a local hospital, police said. Throesch and a passenger in his car were injured, as well as the drivers of the box truck and the other SUV. The affidavit shows Throesch was flown to a local hospital with multiple fractures.

While at the hospital, investigators had blood drawn from Throesch and tested. The analysis showed he had a marijuana metabolite in his system, as well as a sedative with levels "outside the therapeutic range," the affidavit states. A detective noted Throesche had a prescription for the sedative.

During his hearing, Judge Michael Christofeno entered a not-guilty plea on Throesch's behalf. He also took Throesch's request under consideration to reduce his $250,000 bond. Christofeno scheduled his trial to begin March 21, 2022.

BOND DENIED

Several other hearings were held in Circuit Court Thursday.

Among them, an Elkhart teen's half-million dollar bond was kept in place while he's accused of shooting a man in the back over the summer.

Marshon Robinson, 15, is charged as an adult with a Level 1 felony count of attempted murder. He's accused of shooting the victim as they walked in an alley along the 1300 block of Benham Avenue in Elkhart on July 28.

Robinson is currently held at the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. His trial is scheduled to begin March 7, 2022.

Christofeno decided to keep the bond intact, noting Robinson's history of crimes as a juvenile, probation violation and poses a risk to commit more crimes if he was released.

Aimee Ambrose can be reached at aimee.ambrose@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240316. Follow her on Twitter at @aambrose_TGN.