Man charged in fatal Elkhart crash in court today

(Source: https://flic.kr/p/622SAn)

A man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that killed one teenager and seriously injured another.

Ronnie Hapner is charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, reports ABC57.

The crash happened Friday night on Greenleaf Boulevard.

Elkhart Police arrived at the scene and found 18-year-old Blaine Fisher dead in the roadway and 18-year-old Mckade Nielsen unresponsive on the side of the road. Nielsen was taken to the hospital with multiple injuries, including a head injury.

Several witnesses told police the two men were hit by a white Dodge pickup truck and a vehicle part at the scene had a part number from a Dodge Ram, according to court papers.

A tipster contacted police the following day and said that Ronnie Hapner was involved in the fatal accident, reports ABC57.

Police did a search and learned that Hapner had a white Dodge Ram pickup truck registered to him and he lived near the scene of the crash.

During the investigation, police tried to contact Hapner. Hapner eventually called a detective and admitted to driving the pickup truck and hitting and killing Fisher and Nielsen, according to court documents.

After Hapner was arrested, police searched his home and found a damaged white Dodge Ram pickup truck in his garage.

Hapner is due in court Thursday.