Lafayette driver hits and runs, gets caught, fails sobriety test

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A man who hit a mini van with children inside fled the scene of the crash and failed a sobriety test when police caught up with him this week.

Around 8:30 a.m. Monday, West Lafayette police received several calls of a hit and run on Soldiers Home Road in West Lafayette.

Witnesses were able to provide police with a vehicle description and license plate number.

Investigators say a mini van carrying a mother and her 5-year-old and 7-year-old children had stopped for a school bus. That was when another car hit the mini van from behind.

The passenger car that hit them fled the scene and the mother and her two children were taken to St. Elizabeth East Hospital with minor injuries.

Police located the car about 3/4 of a mile down the road on the on-ramp to Sagamore Parkway from Soldiers Home Road. The vehicle had died on the on ramp.

That vehicle was driven by Fred Koning of Lafayette. His young son was in the front seat of the car, but was restrained. Koning suffered a broken nose from hitting the windshield due to the accident.

Upon arrival, police noticed Koning seemed impaired. He agreed to take part in a field sobriety test, which he failed.

He consented to be taken in for a blood draw. Police are waiting for those results.

As of now, Koning is facing preliminary charges of fleeing the scene of an accident (a felony).

Police also found a small amount of marijuana in the car. He is facing a second preliminary charge for the marijuana. He could face more preliminary charges, depending on the results of the blood draw. For now, he is in the Tippecanoe County Jail on a $5,000 surety bond.

His 2-year-old son in the car with him at the time of the crash was picked up by his grandmother.