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Two St. Joseph County officers resign after lying about fatal crash
South Bend Tribune
SOUTH BEND Two St. Joseph County police officers have resigned after an internal investigation found they lied about facts related to a fatal February crash that also left a teen girl partially paralyzed.
The department announced the resignations of Brad Bauters and James Hart, both corporals, Friday afternoon. St. Joseph County Sheriff Bill Redman had recommended the county police merit board terminate both officers because they intentionally omitted” details about whether a North Liberty man was inebriated at a car crash on the afternoon of Feb. 5.
SOUTH BENTD â A driver killed in a February crash near the southwest side of South Bend was drunk at the time of the crash, according to St. Joseph Countyâs Fatal Crash Team.
The collision killed Stephen Stopczynski, 32, of North Liberty and injured six passengers in a separate car driving west, including 13-year-old Giuliana Mendez, who was airlifted to Riley Childrenâs hospital with a serious spinal injury.
Stopczynski was driving east on Grant Road in a Buick Century after 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5. According to a FACT crash report, a witness told investigators Stopczynski did not have his headlights on and crossed over the median line to hit a Chevrolet Traverse, driven by Kassandra Zwierzynski, head-on.
SOUTH BEND â A two-vehicle crash on the west side of South Bend Friday night has left one dead and six injured, one severely.
According to the St. Joseph County Fatal Crash Team, the crash occurred just after 7:45 p.m. Friday at Grant Road near Wilson Manor Drive. A car driven by Stephen A Stopcyznski, 32 of North Liberty, was traveling east when it crossed the center line hitting an SUV. Stopcyznski died at the scene.
The driver of the SUV, Kassandra Anne Zwierzynski, 31 of Mishawaka, had minor injuries, as well as her four children, who range in age between 8 months to 7 years old and who were also in the vehicle. A fifth child inside the SUV, a 13-year-old girl, reportedly suffered a serious spinal injury and was transferred to Riley Hospital, according to the FACT team.