A North Judson, Ind., man has been charged with operating while intoxicated-causing death, after the woman who was riding with him died Thursday of injuries sustained in Tuesday’s crash in Porter Township.

Melissa Qualkenbush, 20, died at 8:18 p.m. Thursday after suffering severe head injuries in the accident.

Michael Schrum, 28, was charged today with OWI-causing death, a Class B felony punishable by a term of six to 20 years, Porter County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Bennett told the Chesterton Tribune. The charge was upgraded from a Class C felony because Schrum has a prior conviction for OWI, Bennett said.

According to the Porter County Sheriff’s Police, at 8:55 p.m. on Tuesday, Schrum, with Qualkenbush in the front seat of his 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, was southbound on C.R. 500W when he failed to yield right of way at the intersection of Ind. 2 and was struck in the passenger’s side by a 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser eastbound on Ind. 2 and driven by Rhonda Rebhorn, 49, of Chesterton.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Posted 10/6/2008