Rochester man charged with four felonies for crash causing death of Amish couple in June

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 3:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The Rochester man who allegedly rear-ended an Amish horse and buggy on June 30 of this year is currently lodged in the Marshall County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

Jarrett L. Sutton, age 41, was driving a 2002 Ford F150 west on 8^th Road near Apple Road, northeast of Bourbon, when he rear-ended the horse and buggy occupied by Aden and Mary Sue Chupp of Nappanee. The married couple were ejected from the buggy upon impact and pronounced dead at the scene by Marshall County Coroner Dean Byers.

Sutton told Detective Sergeant Ryan Hollopeter with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department that he was unable to recall what happened, causing the rear-end collision. Sutton was transported to the Community Hospital of Bremen that evening for a chemical test because of a fatal vehicle collision. The blood sample was sent to the Indiana Department of Toxicology.

At the time of the collision, Sutton’s driving privileges were suspended through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

On Aug. 7, the toxicology report was returned and showed that Sutton’s blood sample tested positive for the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine.

On Oct. 7, a felony warrant was issued by Marshall County for the arrest of Sutton. On Friday at 9:05 a.m., the warrant was served, and he was taken into custody.

Sutton is being held in the Marshall County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond that was set by Marshall Superior Court III Judge Mathew Sarber for two level 4 felony counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, causing death, and two counts of driving while suspended, resulting in death as level 5 felonies.