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Indiana police give hit-and-run case to prosecutor's office

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - Northern Indiana police have turned over to the county prosecutor's office their findings from an investigation into an August hit-and-run that killed two children and an adult.

The Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office is waiting on forensic results from the vehicle involved in the crash before charging anyone, The Elkhart Truth reported . The forensic tests are being conducted by an outside vendor.

The vehicle on Aug. 26 struck five pedestrians, killing 8-month-old Dolly Thomas, 11-year-old Courtney Smith and 22-year-old Shawn Wolcott. The vehicle then struck two other vehicles before fleeing the scene.

The Elkhart Police Department found and searched the vehicle some days later. Police haven't publicly identified a person of interest.

Yvonne Thomas, the grandmother of the 8-year-old victim, said the family is upset by the amount of time the investigation is taking.

"We all know who did this. The police know who did. We know how it happened and the details that followed," Thomas said. "They've not been arrested, and we are really angry."

Elkhart police said Thursday that the department's officers have devoted "countless hours" to investigating the incident. Police said they have purposefully limited information in order to ensure the case's integrity and make sure those responsible are held accountable.

The prosecutor's office won't release additional information until the final report is completed and evidence has been reviewed.

There is no estimated time for when the investigation will be completed, said a spokesman from the prosecutor's office.

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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com

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