Fatal Whitley Crash Brings New Charges Against North Manchester Teen

A 19-year-old North Manchester man faces new criminal charges now that the victim of a Whitley County crash has died. According to a news release from the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, the prosecutor has charged the man with Causing the Death of Another Person While Operating with a Blood Alcohol Level Greater than .08, a class C felony; Causing the Death of Another Person While Operating While Intoxicated, a class C felony; Reckless Homicide, a class C felony and Minor in Possession of Alcohol, a class C misdemeanor. The penalty for a class C felony is two to eight years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The North Manchester man is accused of causing a collision Wednesday night that killed 29-year-old Columbia City resident Nikki Alford. She was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by 38-year-old William Brisentine IV, also of Columbia City. Brisentine reportedly lost control of the motorcycle after it hit a power line on State Road 14 in eastern Whitley County. According to the prosecutor, the power line fell after the North Manchester man’s car struck a utility pole. An initial hearing for the defendant is scheduled for Tuesday morning in Whitley Circuit Court.