STATEHOUSE (February 18, 2010) - A young Boone County sheriff who himself died in a car crash on duty in 1935 while rushing to aid of area motorists involved in a wintertime collision was today honored by State Sen. Phil Boots (R-Crawfordsville) and fellow lawmakers.

In addition to offering a moment of silence at the Statehouse for Sheriff John H. Peper, Boots said he is working with the Indiana Department of Transportation to rename a section of U.S. 52 after Peper.

“Seventy-five years ago, as Sheriff Peper hurried to the scene of an accident on U.S. 52, his sheriff’s car skidded on a patch of ice, spun out of control and flipped over, tragically ending the life of a brave 38-year-old public servant,” Boots said. “Sheriff Peper was a well-liked and well-respected lawman who is remembered for performing his duties with professionalism and passion. His Boone County Sheriff’s Department and area residents proudly support renaming the highway in his memory.”
 
One of the youngest sheriffs in Indiana history, Peper had served as Boone County sheriff for only five weeks. Audra Peper, his young wife, was chosen to fulfill for the remainder of her late husband’s term. Audra became the first female sheriff in Boone County and the second female sheriff in Indiana.

Boots proposed INDOT rename a section of U.S. 52 four miles south of Lebanon as the Sheriff John H. Peper Highway.

Sen. Boots represents Senate District 23, which includes portions of Boone, Clinton, Fountain, Hendricks, Montgomery and Warren counties.

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