(La Porte County, IN) - A man allegedly struck a utility pole just prior to having another single-vehicle crash over the weekend in Coolspring Township.

 

Jonathan Handtke, 32, has been charged in La Porte Circuit Court with Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated and Fleeing the Scene of an Accident.

 

At around 6:30 a.m. this past Saturday, police were called to 300 North and 725 West to find Handkte's car resting against a mailbox.

 

La Porte County Police said Handtke explained he was heading home from a bar when he swerved to miss a deer, striking a tree in the process.

 

His blood alcohol level was .304 percent or nearly four times the legal limit per the authorities.

 

The investigation also revealed that there was a utility pole hanging by a wire less than a mile away, with parts from that crash site matching the suspect’s vehicle.