Laporte man accused of fleeing after serious crash, growing marijuana in home

A Laporte man is in Hubbard County Jail after a pickup truck versus snowmobile crash led to the discovery of a residential marijuana operation, according to court documents.

A criminal complaint shows officials have charged 47-year-old Jamie Lee Hunt with failing to stay at the scene of a serious vehicle crash and possessing a large amount of marijuana.

Hunt had his initial court appearance Tuesday; as of posting, the case court register has not updated to show his next appearance.

The Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office says deputies responded to a crash around 2:15 a.m. Saturday in Guthrie Township and found a 43-year-old man lying on the road with “life-threatening injuries to a leg.”

Investigators discovered Hunt had been pulling a pickup truck with a trailer into his driveway when the driver of a snowmobile collided with the trailer from behind.

Hunt, who did not identify himself to dispatch, checked on the driver and called 911 before driving away, the complaint states.

While they were investigating the crash and working to locate Hunt, deputies smelled marijuana around Hunt’s house. They also saw marijuana plants through a window.

Authorities quickly got a search warrant and found about 80 marijuana plants in a “grow room,” as well as a number of large glass containers full of marijuana.

When members of law enforcement finally found and arrested Hunt, he expressed that he knew the other man was badly hurt and should have stayed at the scene of the crash, according to the complaint.

Responders took the injured snowmobile driver to the hospital but have not provided updates to his condition.