Child hospitalized after being struck by vehicle

UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office released two statements on the vehicle incidents that happened just down the road from each other on Thursday evening. 

In the incident that involved a child being injured by a car, authorities say the child remains in stable condition. 

"The initial investigation indicated that a juvenile female’s foot was caught under the rear tire of the vehicle of her mother, Jasmine White, 27, of Elkhart, while the vehicle was in motion," the statement read. "The child was then pulled to the ground, sustaining critical head injuries. She was taken to the hospital where she remains in stable condition."

The incident remains under investigation by the St. Joseph County FACT Team.

In the case of the vehicle collision that happened around 7:35 p.m. at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Ironwood Drive, authorities said that when officers arrived, they found that the driver of a 2022 Kia was critically injured and entrapped.

"Initial reports indicate that vehicle one, driven by Jatonya Meysha Pringle, 35, of South Bend, was traveling eastbound on Jefferson at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for the red light at Ironwood," authorities said. "She struck vehicle two ... which was traveling northbound on Ironwood through the intersection. The impact caused vehicle two to roll and hit a tree."

The driver of vehicle two was 40-year-old Forrest Ian Anthony Gibbs of South Bend. He died at the scene.

Authorities say Pringle was uninjured and that investigators did observe signs of impairment. She was transported to the hospital for a forensic blood draw.

Pringle was booked into the St. Joseph County Jail Friday on charges of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Death, Resisting Law Enforcement, and Reckless Homicide Using a Vehicle.

ORIGINAL: SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The South Bend Police Department responded to two separate crashes just down the road from each other Thursday evening.

St. Joseph County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team (FACT) is now investigating the two separate crashes, according to the press releases.

The first incident occurred at Cedar Glen Apartments, in the 400 block of S. 25th Street. Police responded around 5:50 p.m. to a report of a child injured by a vehicle.

A witness at the scene, Zak Shaffer, explained the police’s arrival was less than a minute after the crash.

“There was response in probably under 60 seconds, which with something like this, I mean hopefully she’s okay. We can only pray that she’s okay,” said Shaffer.

Investigators say the victim was transported to the hospital to treat injuries. About 90 minutes after that incident, another crash occurred, just down the road.

The press release saying officers were still at the Cedar Glen Apartments scene when they got the call of a rollover crash with entrapment at the intersection of Ironwood Drive and Jefferson Boulevard. Police have not said if any injuries occurred.

FACT is now investigating both crashes, saying they will release further information as the investigations continues. Police are also asking the public to avoid both areas as investigations continue.