Man arrested after fatal crash on U.S. 30

One of the accident victims is transported to an ambulance after being extricated from the overturned vehicle. The accident occurred early Saturday morning in the eastbound lane of U.S. 30, near CR 450E. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union.
By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — A Huntington man is dead and three others were injured after the vehicle they were traveling in early Saturday morning was sideswiped by another vehicle that left the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle was eventually apprehended and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail.

Cayden W. Collins

According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies and emergency personnel responded at 5 a.m. Saturday to a reported accident on U.S. 30 near CR 450E. Emergency responders found a vehicle involved in a rollover crash.

It was determined that a 2009 Honda Pilot, driven by Austin Martin, of Huntington, had exited the south side of U.S. 30, rolled over, hit a NIPSCO utility pole and came to rest on its side.

Conner Small, 24, of Huntington, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene by the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office.

Three others were injured and transported by EMS to local hospitals, and their information was not released by the KCSO.

Martin told police his vehicle was sideswiped by another vehicle, causing his vehicle to leave the roadway. Martin said the vehicle left the scene, the news release said.

A description of the other vehicle was dispatched to surrounding law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. The vehicle was described as a silver car with a headlight out. The Huntington County Sheriff’s Office located the silver vehicle and, through the investigation, it was determined that Cayden W. Collins, 20, Andrews, was the driver of the second vehicle. The vehicle was a gray 2009 Buick Alero.

Collins was placed under arrest and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail where he was preliminary charged with one count of felony leaving the scene of a fatality accident, a Level 4 felony.

The KCSO was assisted at the scene by the Warsaw Police Department, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, Lutheran EMS, Lutheran Air, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, Pierceton first responders, Winona Lake Police Department, North Webster EMS and Samaritan Air. KCSO was also assisted by the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office.