Kara Berg

kara.berg@indystar.com

Five Amish teens are facing alcohol related charges after they were caught driving 110 mph on U.S. 31 in Northern Indiana on Friday night.

The Shipshewana and Topeka teens may have been on their rumspringa, an Amish rite of passage teenagers take to decide if they want to stay with the church or not, said Indiana State Police Officer Ben Reason.

Reason, and his brother, State Police Officer Jesse Reason, clocked the 17-year-old driver speeding in a 60 mph zone near Fulton County Road 300 South.

The troopers followed the 2001 Dodge Caravan and saw the teens throwing alcoholic beverages out of the van's windows, according to an ISP news release.

The officers stopped the vehicle and "observed numerous alcohol containers, multiple cases of beer, and other bottles of alcoholic beverages to include a jug of whiskey," the news release said.

The 17-year-old driver and passengers, two 16-year-old boys, one 16 year old girl and one 17-year-old girl, had consumed alcohol, police said.

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The driver only had a learners permit.

The driver faces initial charges of reckless driving, operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration between .02 and .08 while under 21, minor consumption of alcohol, littering, learners permit violation, speeding and unlawful possession of tobacco, according to the news release.

The two boys face charges for minor consumption of alcohol and unlawful possession of tobacco; the two girls face minor consumption of alcohol charges.

Troopers had trouble contacting their parents because they did not use telephones due to their Amish religion. All five were eventually released into the custody of a relative.

Call IndyStar reporter Kara Berg at (317) 444-6179 . Follow her on Twitter: @karaberg95.

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