Crews work to free the passenger and driver of a vehicle that collided with a house. (Photos by Amanda McFarland)

By 1st Sergeant Chad Hill
Public Relations Officer, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department

WARSAW — Two men were seriously injured Monday afternoon after their vehicle struck a house.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputies and emergency personnel responded at approximately 3:30 p.m. Monday to the 3900 block of CR 150W after a 911 report of a vehicle that had crashed into a residence.  Deputies stated they arrived to find a 2010 Chevy Camaro heavily damaged in a residential yard.

The passenger, identified as Eli Hernandez, 22, Warsaw, was trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extracted by fireman from the Warsaw/Wayne Township Fire Territory and Leesburg/Plain Township Fire Departments. Hernandez was removed and immediately transported to Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, in serious condition with a severe head injury.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Erick Michael Sawyer, 23, Warsaw, was transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital in serious but stable condition by Lutheran Kosciusko EMS.

Sheriff’s deputies stated a preliminarily investigation into the crash has determined that Sawyer had been northbound on CR 150W at a high rate of speed, when he lost control of his vehicle. Sawyer subsequently left the west side of the roadway and slid across a yard, impacting a house before coming to rest. During the crash, a natural gas line was struck at the residence, causing fireman and officers to use extreme caution until arriving NIPSCO officials could arrive at the scene and secure the leak.

Officers stated the crash is still under investigation.