NEW PARIS – A six-vehicle crash in Elkhart County killed a motorcyclist and injured three others.
At 12:53 p.m. Friday, a Ford F150 pickup truck – pulling a lawncare trailer with a riding lawn mower and lawn equipment, driven by Ricardo Vega, 23, Milford – was traveling north on Ind. 15 where the roadway was under construction and down to one lane in each direction.
Vega's truck struck a line of stopped vehicles, according to the Elkhart County crash report. The pickup hit a motorcycle, driven by Darrell Lemon, 60, Elkhart, who was not wearing a helmet. Lemon was ejected from the motorcycle and died on scene.
The pickup truck then struck the rear end of a Nissan car, driven by Jose Lazaro, 21, Goshen, and ran off the east side of the road. Lazaro suffered minor injuries and was treated on scene.
Debris from the initial impact struck a Dodge van driven by Jeffrey Yontz, 59, New Paris, causing minor rear damage to the van. Yontz suffered no injuries.
The pickup truck then reentered the highway and struck a fifth car driven by Tiffany Brady, 26, Milford, who complained of neck pain and numbness to her arm.
A motorcycle, driven by James Gluckin, 75, no address provided, was traveling south and laid his motorcycle down. He was wearing a helmet and suffered a broken left arm, fracture to the left shoulder and other possible broken bones, according to the report.
The driver of the pickup suffered no injuries, and the crash is under investigation.
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office was assisted by Lutheran Ambulance Service, New Paris EMS, Goshen EMS, Indiana State Police and an investigator with the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office. Ind. 15 was shut down for investigation at CR 50, south of Ozinga Drive and north of CR 50 in New Paris.
