STEUBEN CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office says a Michigan man crashed his truck and took off on foot with two of his children while leaving his other two kids behind on Friday night.
It happened in rural Jackson Township on Friday.
According to a release, deputies were sent to the 6500 block of North County Road 450 West at approximately 10:30 p.m., where they found the crashed truck and four and 16-year-olds. They were immediately rendered care and are expected to recover.
Officers report that 30-year-old Tayler J. Lorenz of Jonesville, MI, was traveling southbound on North County Road 450 West at a high speed when he failed to navigate a curve. His truck left the road and then crashed into several trees.
The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office says Lorenz left the scene with his three and six-year-olds.
Lorenz showed up at the Branch County (MI) Sheriff’s Office around 10:00 am the next morning.
No charges have been announced.
The following was released:
On 07/17/2026 just after 10:30 pm, Steuben County Sheriff’s deputies and area first responders were called to the area of the 6500 block of north CR 450 W in rural Jackson Township for a report of a single vehicle crash with injuries. When crews from Steuben County EMS arrived, they located two crash victims with obvious injuries and immediately began treatment.
Once initial responding deputies arrived, they began a preliminary crash scene investigation which indicated that a black 2017 Ram 2500 pickup truck was traveling southbound on CR 450 W from SR 120 at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was being driven by 30-year-old Tayler J. Lorenz of Jonesville, MI. As the pickup truck approached a 90-degree curve in the roadway, Lorenz failed to negotiate the curve due to the high rate of speed causing his vehicle to leave the roadway and collide with several trees.
Lorenz then allegedly fled the scene taking two small children identified as 3-year-old Nos J. Lorenz and 6-year-old Nicolette M. Lorenz with him while leaving the two other injured victims. The two victims at the scene were identified as 4-year-old Natalie Lorenz and 16-year-old Kalon Gundrum. Both Natalie and Kalon were transported to Parkview Regional Medical Center by Steuben County EMS in critical condition.
A subsequent area search was conducted by the Sheriff’s Office drones and K9 units with the assistance of the Fremont Fire Department drone and personnel from Orland Fire Department. Ultimately, it was discovered that the children were dropped off at a residence known to the family in Hillsdale County, MI. Michigan State Police responded and found that the children suffered minor cuts and bruising in the crash.
Lorenz eventually showed up at the Branch County (MI) Sheriff’s Office around 10:00 am the next morning on the 18th and was subsequently interviewed by crash investigators. Airbags did deploy and the weather was clear and the roadway was dry at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.
Assisting the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation were Orland Fire, Fremont Fire, Steuben County EMS, Indiana Department of Child Services, Michigan State Police, Branch County (MI) Sheriff’s Office, Hillsdale County (MI) Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police.
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