Fort Wayne police sergeant fined $35.50 for fatally striking pedestrian in crosswalk

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A Fort Wayne police officer with a history of traffic offenses pleaded guilty to an infraction Wednesday after his vehicle fatally injured a pedestrian who was in a crosswalk.

Sgt. Joshua Hartup pleaded guilty to failing to yield to a pedestrian causing bodily injury and was fined $35.50 by an Allen Superior Court magistrate, local news outlets reported. He previously paid $139.50 in court costs.

Hartup’s unmarked police vehicle struck Henry Najdeski, a Fort Wayne attorney, on April 19. Najdeski died from his injuries three days later.

A telephone message seeking comment was left Wednesday for Hartup’s attorney, Adam Henry.

After the crash, Hartup issued a statement saying that as he was completing a turn at an intersection, “I struck a pedestrian. I immediately stopped my vehicle, grabbed my radio, and started aid to the pedestrian, and called dispatch to send medics.”

Allen County Prosecutor Mike McAlexander announced this month that Hartup was not criminally liable for Najdeski’s death.

Hartup has not received any police department discipline for the crash. He was disciplined for four previous crashes while on duty.