Two In Custody For Roadside Shooting In Harrison County

HARRISON CO., Ind. — Two people wanted for a roadside shooting in Harrison County last week are now in custody.

On Wednesday Aug. 19, a Kentucky family of three was hiking together at O’Bannon State Park. As they were driving home, a white Dodge Avenger quickly pulled up behind the family’s Hyundai Santa Fe with its high beams on. According to Indiana State Police Sergeant Carey Huls, the driver of the Santa Fe pulled off to the side of the road to let the Avenger pass.

However, instead of passing by the family, the other driver instead pulled up alongside them and fired several rounds into the family’s car.

The man driving the Santa Fe, as well as a woman in the passenger seat, were both shot multiple times. A third person in the backseat was not shot at all. After shooting the car, the Avenger sped off. In trying to escape, the driver of the Santa Fe crashed their car into some nearby trees.

Huls said what spooked him the most about this particular shooting was “the randomness of it.”

“This is a family from Kentucky that likes to get out and hike, frequents the parks in the areas fairly often,” Huls said. “It was a ‘wrong place, wrong time’ type of situation.”

On Monday, police found Timothy Sargent, 41, and Savanna Emich, 20, in South Dakota, and took them into custody in connection to the crime.

Sargent is also wanted for murder and is a person of interest in another killing, both of which happened in Ohio. He is also wanted for murder in West Virginia. Sargent and Emich have yet to be charged in the O’Bannon State Park shooting.

Huls said that although you can never be one-hundred-percent prepared for shootings like this, there are ways to try and prevent them.

“Be aware of your surroundings. If something seems odd, it may very well be. Make sure you’re in a well-lit place or go into a public place before you pull over and stop,” said Huls. “If something doesn’t feel quite right, go with your gut feeling and make sure you’re in a safe place before you do anything.”