An Elkhart police officer who crashed his squad car while off duty last Sunday has resigned and pleaded guilty to drunken driving and criminal recklessness.
Cpl. Benjamin Kruszynski was arrested after he crashed into two fences and a tree while speeding with four other people in his squad car. Authorities say the 38-year-old was travelling faster than 100 mph.
Police say Kruszynski's blood-alcohol level two hours after the crash was 0.12 percent. Indiana's legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Kruszynski resigned Thursday and entered the pleas on the misdemeanor charges yesterday. The Elkhart Board of Public Safety unanimously voted to accept his resignation.
No injuries were reported in the accident.
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Officer Patrick Beesley Charged with Drunk Driving
A Noblesville police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being charged with drunken driving.
Officer Patrick E. Beesley, 32, Noblesville, could face penalties ranging from a brief suspension to termination, based on the outcome of an internal investigation. He also faces up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines if he is convicted.
Beesley could not be reached for comment.
"Obviously, this is a serious situation," Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said Tuesday, his first day on the job.
Beesley caught the attention of a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. His vehicle was swerving in its lane and was going off the road, said Vicky Dunbar, public information officer for the sheriff's office.
Deputy Paul Miller stopped Beesley on Greenfield Avenue, just west of Marilyn Road, Dunbar said.
Miller smelled alcohol when he talked to Beesley and noticed that Beesley's eyes were bloodshot, Dunbar said.
Beesley, who was not driving his squad car, identified himself as a Noblesville police officer, according to Dunbar.
Beesley failed field sobriety tests, authorities said, and a breath test registered his blood-alcohol level at 0.18, more than twice the level (0.08) at which a driver in Indiana is considered intoxicated.
The police report did not say where Beesley had been or where he was going, according to Dunbar, and Jowitt did not have that information.
Beesley was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or greater, a Class A misdemeanor.
He posted bond and was released from the Hamilton County Jail at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release.
Beesley has been with the Noblesville department for about 21/2 years, Jowitt said. Before that, he worked for the Chicago Police Department.
An Elkhart officer also was arrested on drunken-driving charges this past weekend.
Authorities said Cpl. Benjamin Kruszynski, 38, was off-duty Sunday night when he crashed his squad car into two fences and a tree.
His blood-alcohol level was 0.12, authorities said. He will be placed on administrative leave pending the result of the investigation, according to Elkhart Police Chief Dale Pflibsen.
Officer Patrick E. Beesley, 32, Noblesville, could face penalties ranging from a brief suspension to termination, based on the outcome of an internal investigation. He also faces up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines if he is convicted.
Beesley could not be reached for comment.
"Obviously, this is a serious situation," Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said Tuesday, his first day on the job.
Beesley caught the attention of a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. His vehicle was swerving in its lane and was going off the road, said Vicky Dunbar, public information officer for the sheriff's office.
Deputy Paul Miller stopped Beesley on Greenfield Avenue, just west of Marilyn Road, Dunbar said.
Miller smelled alcohol when he talked to Beesley and noticed that Beesley's eyes were bloodshot, Dunbar said.
Beesley, who was not driving his squad car, identified himself as a Noblesville police officer, according to Dunbar.
Beesley failed field sobriety tests, authorities said, and a breath test registered his blood-alcohol level at 0.18, more than twice the level (0.08) at which a driver in Indiana is considered intoxicated.
The police report did not say where Beesley had been or where he was going, according to Dunbar, and Jowitt did not have that information.
Beesley was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or greater, a Class A misdemeanor.
He posted bond and was released from the Hamilton County Jail at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release.
Beesley has been with the Noblesville department for about 21/2 years, Jowitt said. Before that, he worked for the Chicago Police Department.
An Elkhart officer also was arrested on drunken-driving charges this past weekend.
Authorities said Cpl. Benjamin Kruszynski, 38, was off-duty Sunday night when he crashed his squad car into two fences and a tree.
His blood-alcohol level was 0.12, authorities said. He will be placed on administrative leave pending the result of the investigation, according to Elkhart Police Chief Dale Pflibsen.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Officer Benjamin Kruszynski Arrested for Drunk Driving
Police say a City of Elkhart police officer was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he was involved in an accident late Sunday along County Line Road.
Officer Benjamin Kruszynski, 38, crashed an Elkhart City squad car into a tree near the intersection of Brummitt and Ash roads about 11:10 p.m.
There were four passengers in the car at the time — a 43-year-old male and three 18-year-old females, according to police.
Elkhart Police Spokesman Lt. Ed Windbigler would not say if Kruszynski was driving his own squad car or another officer's.
A witness said the car went airborne when hitting the tree and leaving the roadway on the Elkhart County side of the road.
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene and arrested Kruszynski for OWI. A departmental supervisor was also sent to the scene to assist the officer and continue the investigation.
No one was injured.
Kruszynski has been with the Elkhart Police Department since 2000.
Officer Benjamin Kruszynski, 38, crashed an Elkhart City squad car into a tree near the intersection of Brummitt and Ash roads about 11:10 p.m.
There were four passengers in the car at the time — a 43-year-old male and three 18-year-old females, according to police.
Elkhart Police Spokesman Lt. Ed Windbigler would not say if Kruszynski was driving his own squad car or another officer's.
A witness said the car went airborne when hitting the tree and leaving the roadway on the Elkhart County side of the road.
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene and arrested Kruszynski for OWI. A departmental supervisor was also sent to the scene to assist the officer and continue the investigation.
No one was injured.
Kruszynski has been with the Elkhart Police Department since 2000.
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