Emerick charged in death of in-law

A Pennville resident has been charged with drunk driving resulting in death.

Terry D. Emerick, 49, 401 E. Pleasant St., was charged in Jay Superior Court in July with two Level 4 felonies for causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and causing death when operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or more.

His actions allegedly led to the death of his father-in-law, 68-year-old Robert H. Langenkamp Jr. of rural Portland.

According to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office report, Emerick was driving a 2018 Polaris Ranger east on Division Road just west of county road 200 East about 10:06 p.m. May 4. Langenkamp, a passenger in the vehicle Emerick was driving, instructed him to turn north onto county road 200 East as he approached the intersection.

Emerick tried to make the turn at an unsafe speed, the report says, causing Langenkamp to fall out of the vehicle. He appeared to have hit the road and rolled onto the side of it, falling unconscious.

Langenkamp sustained a head injury from the accident and was flown to a hospital in Fort Wayne, where he later died.

According to an affidavit for probable cause filed in connection with the case, Emerick smelled of alcohol, slurred his speech and had bloodshot eyes. Alcoholic beverage containers were also visible at the scene. 

Emerick failed field sobriety tests. He was administered a blood test, which indicated he had a blood alcohol level of 0.238%.

Jay County Superior Court judge Gail Dues recommended Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles suspend his license July 22. Emerick has pretrial conference set in court for 1 p.m. Oct. 1.

In Indiana Code, a Level 4 felony sentence ranges from two to 12 years, with an advisory sentence of six years.

Emerick was preliminarily charged May 5 with operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, a Level 6 felony. He was later released from Jay County Jail on a $3,000 bond.