LAGRANGE, Ind. --- On Monday, police responded to a call around 8:00 p.m. of a bicyclist hit by a ve...

1. 80-year-old man killed, struck by alleged drunk driver near
home
LAGRANGE, Ind. --- On Monday, police responded to a call around 8:00 p.m. of a bicyclist hit by a
vehicle in the area of 6800 W. 200 South in Lagrange County. That man, 80-year-old Leland
Lambright, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the driver of the vehicle, 22-year-old Brian Schrock, was intoxicated while driving. They
say his BAL was .09. He was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death.
Tuesday, Lambright's family held a viewing for Leland and police put up signs on either end of W.
200 South, alerting drivers to slow down as there would be plenty of buggy traffic. This, just two
driveways away from where Lambright was killed.
"They told me it was an older gentleman," Terry Martin, Sheriff of Lagrange County said. "They told
me he died there and didn't live too far from the accident scene."
While alcohol was involved in the crash, Sheriff Martin tells us Schrock admitted to using his cell
phone at the time of the accident.
"He told the officer he was looking down at his cell phone when this happened," Martin said. "It's
really unfortunate."
Schrock will face two felony counts for the accident, one charge of OWI causing death and one
charge of Reckless Homicide. The two charges carry a maximum 8-year sentence.
The Lagrange County Coroner says Lambright died from blunt force trauma to several vital areas
including his head and chest. After the accident, Sheriff Martin says Schrock stayed at the scene and
called police. He stayed their until they arrived.
And vehicle-bicycle accidents aren't an uncommon occurrence in Lagrange County. With a higher
Amish population, who tend to ride bicycles, lack of street lighting and little to no bike lanes, these
accidents do occur.
However, a lot some of the younger generations have started wearing reflective vests while riding
their bicycles. The coroner did say though, Lambright was not believed to be wearing one of these
vests. While it may not have saved his life, it is an issue the Sheriff's department is dealing with.
"We do a lot of programs over here because we have a lot of bike riders in the county," Martin said.
"Headlights, tail lights and reflective vests are becoming more and more popular with the Amish,
especially the school kids which is great. It really sticks out, especially at dusk and dawn. We do a
lot of safety programs for the Amish community out here in the schools and in the regular schools
too. It's a big task for us getting people to change but we're on the right track."