On the morning of Saturday, December 19, 2020, law enforcement officials in Grant County, Indiana, responded to reports of a single-vehicle accident near Gas City. At approximately 8:15 a.m., a 2007 Chevrolet Impala had left the roadway and collided with a utility pole in the vicinity of Grant County Road 600 East, situated between Gas City and Interstate 69.
Officers from the Gas City Police Department, Upland Police Department, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene to find the vehicle damaged, but the individual operating the car had already fled the area on foot before authorities could make contact.
Remaining at the site of the crash was a passenger, 32-year-old female Amanda Leigh Elbert of Alexandria, Indiana. Upon speaking with the responding officers, she indicated that she had not sustained any injuries during the collision. Due to the cold weather conditions that morning, an officer from the Upland Police Department offered her shelter inside his patrol vehicle to keep warm while the investigation into the crash and the search for the missing driver continued. She accepted the offer and took a seat in the front passenger side of the police cruiser.
While officers were outside conducting an inventory of the wrecked Impala and processing the scene, a single gunshot was heard originating from the police vehicle where Elbert was seated. Investigators rushed to the car and discovered that she had sustained a gunshot wound. It was determined that she had retrieved a handgun from her own purse, which she had brought with her into the patrol car, and allegedly turned the weapon on herself. Emergency medical personnel were summoned back to the scene immediately, but despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead.
The Indiana State Police were subsequently requested by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to lead the death investigation to ensure transparency. The inquiry focused on the sequence of events leading up to the shooting, confirming that the firearm used belonged to the victim and was in her possession at the time. The driver of the vehicle who fled the initial accident remained a subject of interest regarding the crash itself, as they had left the scene prior to police arrival, though no immediate public reports confirmed their apprehension or specific charges at the time of the initial investigation.
