Executive Summary
- John Kurt Collings, 63, has been charged with reckless homicide and OWI causing death following a Wednesday night crash.
- The collision on Mayflower Road resulted in the death of passenger James L. Barnes, 58, and injured the vehicle’s driver.
- Investigators state Collings crossed the centerline and struck the victims’ SUV while driving a pickup truck.
- Collings faces potential sentencing enhancements as a habitual vehicular substance offender.
A 63-year-old South Bend man is in police custody facing multiple felony charges, including reckless homicide, following a fatal vehicular collision on Mayflower Road late Wednesday evening. Authorities have identified the suspect as John Kurt Collings, who is accused of operating a vehicle while intoxicated during the incident that claimed one life and injured another.
According to the St. Joseph County Police Department, officers responded to the scene near Belleville Drive, just north of the bypass, at approximately 10:15 p.m. Investigators determined that an SUV driven by a 48-year-old woman was traveling northbound after exiting the bypass when it was struck by a southbound pickup truck. Police reports indicate that the pickup, driven by Collings, crossed the centerline and collided with the oncoming SUV.
The collision resulted in critical injuries for the SUV’s passenger, identified as 58-year-old James L. Barnes of South Bend. Emergency responders transported Barnes to a local hospital, where authorities confirmed he later succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the SUV sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.
Prosecutors have filed three primary charges against Collings: causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and reckless homicide. Furthermore, officials stated that Collings could face sentencing enhancements, citing his classification as a habitual vehicular substance offender.
Judicial Proceedings and Legal Implications
The charges levied against Collings carry significant severity, particularly with the inclusion of the habitual vehicular substance offender enhancement, which acts as a mechanism under state law to increase mandatory prison terms for repeat offenders. As the case moves to the St. Joseph County courts, the prosecution will likely rely heavily on toxicology reports and accident reconstruction data to substantiate the allegations of intoxication and recklessness. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.