Dyer Woman Found Hiding After Drone/K9 Search Following I-94 Crash
A 43-year-old Dyer woman is facing multiple charges after Indiana State Police say she fled from a crash on I-94 westbound and was found hiding in a brushy area following a drone search early Monday morning.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in LaPorte County, troopers responded around 10:30 p.m. on October 27, 2025 to a three-vehicle crash on I-94 westbound at the 34-mile marker. Officers at the scene reported the driver of a 2020 Kia Forte fled southbound across the eastbound lanes of traffic — nearly being struck by a semi — and disappeared into a dense brush area east of U.S. 421.
A K-9 unit tracked into the brush and located a pair of black sandals believed to belong to the driver. The reeds were described as 8–10 feet tall, spanning an area the size of two football fields, which limited visibility and tracking. A drone from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department joined the search, but after more than an hour, the search was temporarily suspended.
At approximately 12:40 a.m., the drone located Gina Theresa Panozzo, 43, lying in shorter brush about 100 yards from the initial search area. She was warned to surrender or be bitten by the police K-9. Panozzo complied and was taken into custody without incident.
Troopers reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol on Panozzo’s breath and observed her bloodshot, glassy eyes. She refused to provide identification, field sobriety testing, and a certified chemical test. Panozzo was later identified using facial recognition software. She was medically cleared at LaPorte Hospital and booked into the LaPorte County Jail.
Charges filed October 28,2025:
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident — Level 6 Felony (prior conviction within 5 years)
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person — Class A Misdemeanor
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated — Class C Misdemeanor
• Refusal to Identify Self — Class C Misdemeanor
• Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Financial Responsibility — Infraction
• No Valid Driver’s License — Infraction
• Public Intoxication — Infraction
Currently lodged in the Laporte County Jail.
