WARSAW — A motorist died Monday night after a vehicle left the road and hit a tree south west of Warsaw.

The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. on CR 200S east of CR675W in Harrison Township, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office.

Preliminary investigation determined an Impala was eastbound on CR 200 when it left the roadway and struck a tree.

The investigation is ongoing and the name of the driver will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.

The crash remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County FACT Team.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Kosciusko County 911 Dispatch Center, Burket Fire Department, Silver Lake Police Department, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, and Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service.

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WARSAW — A Warsaw man was killed late Thursday night after lying on the railroad tracks and getting hit by a train.

According to a news release from the Warsaw Police Department, the incident occurred at about 11:50 p.m. Thursday, July 2 on the east-west railroad tracks, east of Argonne Road.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to the tracks shortly before midnight.

The preliminary investigation indicates that Gabriel Dave De La Cruz, 43 was lying on the tracks as an eastbound train approached. Railroad personnel attempted to alert De La Cruz, but he did not move from the tracks and was hit by the train.

De La Cruz died from his injuries, according to Kosciusko County Coroner Tyler Huffer.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Fatal Team was requested to assist with the investigation, the release states.

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WARSAW — A motorcyclist died in a crash early Friday morning just south of Warsaw.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputies and emergency personnel responded Friday
morning, at 5:14 a.m., to a two-vehicle accident on State Road 15 south of Short Ridge Dr.

Emergency personnel arrived on scene and located a Buick Regal driven by Haciel Juarez-Gutierrez and an Indian Roadmaster motorcycle driven by Randy Schmucker, 64, Warsaw, involved in a head-on collision.

Preliminary investigation determined the Buick was southbound on State Road 15 and crossed the center line, striking the motorcycle, which was northbound on State Road 15.

Schmucker was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Kosciusko County Coroner, Tyler Huffer, from injuries sustained in the crash.

Haciel Juarez-Gutierrez, 19, Warsaw, was not injured in the crash.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Kosciusko County
County 911 Dispatch Center, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, Warsaw Police Department, Winona Lake Police Department, Lutheran EMS, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, and Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service.

The crash remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County FACT Team.

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HOBART — Two children and one adult died, and a fourth was critically injured when the SUV they were riding in slammed into the back of a semi-trailer on I-65.

Police believe the driver was intoxicated.

The crash took place at around midnight Friday morning, according to a press release from Indiana State Police. 

Investigators determined that the SUV, a Ford Explorer, was speeding in the southbound lanes when it hit the semi, which had been parked on the right shoulder because of mechanical issues.

The driver of the explorer has been identified as Renee Foster, 31, from Gary. Foster had been traveling southbound in the right lane and allegedly fell asleep while driving and drove off the road, rear-ending the parked semi. 

The Explorer sustained catastrophic damage as a result of the impact to the trailer. The trailer was also significantly damaged from the crash.

Foster sustained upper body injuries and was transported to Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point for treatment. 

A juvenile passenger, who was unrestrained in the front right seat, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries as a result.

The semi driver was not injured. 

Both drivers consented to blood draws, and results are pending.

 Alcohol consumption is believed to be a factor in this crash. Felony charges will be submitted to the Lake County Prosecutor for consideration against Foster. Those charges include the following:

• Neglect of a Dependent — Level 5 Felony (4 counts)
• Reckless Driving — Class A Misdemeanor
• Driving with a Suspended Vehicle Registration — Class C Misdemeanor
• Child Restraint Violations — Infraction (4 counts)

Charges for O.W.I. may be considered/submitted once the blood results have been analyzed.

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MERRILLVILLE — One person died and two were injured in a wrong-way collision on I-65 shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, north of Merrillville.

A preliminary investigation indicates the crash involved a driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-65, which resulted in a head-on crash.

Indiana State Police said a 2022 Toyota was traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-65 when it struck a Ford head-on. 

The driver of the Toyota, Jessica Hughes, 29, from Hebron, had to be extricated and was airlifted to a hospital in Chicago. 

Prior to transport, troopers police said they saw signs of impairment. Hughes remains in critical condition.

Rylee Hanson, 20, Hobart, was traveling north in the far-left lane in a Ford when the vehicles collided.

Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lake County Coroner. 

A female passenger had serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment. 

Both northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate 65 were temporarily shut down to allow a medical helicopter to land. 

No charges have been filed at this time. The investigation remains ongoing, pending further review and consultation with the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office.

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WARSAW — A 69-year-old motorist from Rochester was struck and killed Monday night on US 30 after he exited his vehicle to retrieve an item that had fallen from the bed of his truck.

The accident happened around 6:29 p.m. along the westbound lanes of US near the Meijer store in Warsaw.

The preliminary results of the investigation indicate that Randy Williams had parked on the shoulder and was not on the travel portion of the highway when the accident happened.

Williams was struck by a Kenworth tractor-trailer driven by Amrinder Singh, of Milwaukee.

Kosciusko County Coroner Tyler Huffer determined Williams’ cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Fatal Team was requested for reconstruction. A commercial motor vehicle inspection was conducted by the Indiana State Police.

No other details were available.

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PLYMOUTH — One person died and three others were injured in a fiery collision on US 30 Thursday night in Marshall County.

The accident happened at about 9:36 p.m. on  US 30 and west US 31, and dispatch was told that one of the vehicles involved was engulfed in flames.

First responders arrived on scene at the crash on the westbound lanes of traffic. 

Based upon the initial investigation, the 2016 Freightliner tractor and trailer being driven by Abdussalam A. Noor was traveling westbound on US 30 and struck a Ford F250 that was sitting stationary on the shoulder of the roadway behind a white utility truck that was being towed by Bettcher's Towing. 

Thomas J. Diener was seated in the front driver's seat of the 2024 Ford F250 at the time of the collision. Due to the extreme force of the impact, Thomas was ejected from the pickup. 

First responders attempted to assist Thomas, but he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Two passengers in the F250 were injured. Those include Robbie D. Betts and Carter Haen, who were taken to Memorial Hospital.

Ryan W. Carnahan, the operator of the Bettcher's Towing wrecker, also sustained injuries and was transported to Memorial Hospital.

The post Collision in Marshall County leaves one dead, three injured appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

News Release

SHIPSHEWANA — Two elderly people in an Amish buggy died after being struck from behind by a dump truck on Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened just after 3 p.m. on US 20 near CR 1000 West in LaGrange County, according to information provided by the Indiana State Police.

The initial investigation shows the buggy, occupied by two people, was on the shoulder heading east on US 20. 

For an unknown reason, a Ford F550 dump truck drifted onto the shoulder and hit the buggy. The truck was driven by Gael Reyes, 20, of Sturgis, Mich., who was not injured.

Marvin Shrock, 75, and Ruby Shrock, 74, both of Shipshewana, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Drugs and alcohol are not suspected as a factor in this crash. It is still under investigation by the Indiana State Police Critical Incident Reconstruction Team, and there is currently no other information available.

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MILFORD — Two people were killed in a collision that shut down SR 15 near Milford on Thursday.

The accident happened at 11:31 a.m., just north of Waubee Road, which is south of Milford, according to a news release from the Kosciuko County Sheriff's Office.

[caption id="attachment_123216" align="alignright" width="280"] Photo of crash scene provided.[/caption]

Killed in the accident were 68-year-old Dale E. Wert, of Goshen, and 19-year-old Sarah A. Mischke, of Milford.

Wert was taken to a Fort Wayne hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Mischke died at the scene.

Investigators still have not determined what caused the collision, and the crash remains by the Kosciusko County FACT Team.

Traffic in both directions was closed until debris from the crash could be cleared.

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WARSAW — A crash on Tuesday morning claimed the life of a longtime Warsaw teacher.

The accident happened at about 10:45 a.m. at the intersection of State Road 15 and County Road 200S, according to a news release by the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office.

The collision involved a Nissan pick-up truck and a Freightliner Box truck.

Preliminary investigation determined the Nissan pick-up truck was
northbound on State Road 15 and the Freightliner box truck was
westbound on County Road 200 south. The two vehicles collided in the
intersection.

Gene B. Butts, 94, of Warsaw, was the driver of the Nissan and died at the scene.

Brittany E. Simons, 35, Rochester, was the driver of the Freightliner and was not injured in the crash. Two passengers in her vehicle also escaped injury.

Butts taught for decades at Lincoln Elementary, where he shared his love of history.

Just a few years ago, Butts joined others in defending the importance of protecting a huge historic Sycamore tree a block from the school after it was initially targeted for removal.

The accident remains under investigation by the KCSO FACT Team.

Assisting at the scene were the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, Lutheran EMS, Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service, Indiana State Police and the Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office.

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