An Indiana State Police trooper in northwest Indiana has been struck by a drunk driver at least four times in the past six months. According to an ISP press release, Trooper Ryan Parent was sitting in his police car when it was struck from behind while conducting a traffic stop in Hobart early on Sunday morning. According to ISP, Parent stopped on Ridge Road, west of County Line Road, around 3:40 a.m.
He had stopped when his vehicle was struck and pushed into the car. The ISP cruiser was struck in the rear by a black 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix following Parent’s fully marked Dodge Charger police car. According to ISP, the collision forced the police car into the white 2010 Lexus that had been stopped.
Following the collision, Trooper Parent was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening wounds, according to ISP. He is anticipated to recover fully. Angela M. Cabello, 32, of Portage, the driver of the Pontiac that struck Parent’s vehicle, was also taken to St.
Mary’s for medical attention. ISP investigators claimed they discovered evidence at the crash site that Cabello had consumed alcohol or used illegal drugs before the collision. A Lake County court judge later issued a warrant for a blood test, and the outcomes are still pending, according to ISP.
Later, Cabello was discharged from the hospital and brought to the Lake County Jail for processing, according to ISP. She is currently charged with the following:
- alcohol-related driving with a criminal record (a level 6 felony),
- driving while drunk and endangering others (a class A misdemeanor),
- operating a vehicle while drunk (a class C misdemeanor),
- marijuana possession (a class B misdemeanor) and
- Possession of contraband (a class C misdemeanor).
According to ISP, Lexus’s driver was not hurt in the collision, but the vehicle did sustain some minor damage. This is the fourth time since March that a trooper assigned to the Lowell Post has reportedly been struck by an allegedly intoxicated driver, according to an ISP release from Sunday.
