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Two separate accidents Sunday left one person dead and four others injured.
A Leesburg woman died from injuries suffered in a noon accident at the Norfolk Southern Railroad crossing on CR 900N, 40 feet east of Old Ind. 15, near Milford; and a 47-year-old Claypool woman remains hospitalized after a 5:23 p.m. Sunday accident at the intersection of CRs 700S and 100E, near Claypool.
Zona F. Deeter, 89, of Church Street, died Sunday evening, several hours after her car was struck by a train. Deeter suffered head and internal injuries and was trapped in the wreckage. After extrication, Deeter was airlifted from near the scene to Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, where she later died.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report, Deeter was westbound on CR 900N approaching the crossing when the accident occurred.
Witness statements indicate that Deeter was focused on the stop sign for Old Ind. 15, the intersection beyond the railroad crossing. The conductor of the train told police that he saw Deeter look at the train at the last second before impact.
The three-engine/97-car train struck the car at the left rear door and rear end, knocking it out of the way and up against guy wires and utility poles on the northwest side of the intersection. The conductor estimates the speed of the train just prior to the accident was 44 mph.
A supplemental report completed by an Indiana State Police trooper noted that the railroad crossing has no warning lights, stop arms or lane markings, but does have crossbucks. The bells and whistles on the train were reportedly operable and activated at the time of the accident.
In the accident near Claypool, Mitchell E. Yoder, 47, of South County Farm Road, Claypool, complained of hip pain after her car was struck by a car driven by Shane G. Menzie, 26, of East CR 250S, Pierceton.
A KCSD report noted that Yoder, when interviewed at Kosciusko Community Hospital, did not remember what road she was on when the accident occurred. Yoder was admitted to KCH, where she was listed in stable condition this morning.
Menzie told police he was westbound on CR 700S when Yoder's southbound car came through the stop sign into his path of travel. He said he tried, but was unable, to avoid a collision.
Menzie complained of chest pain and was treated at KCH and released. Also injured were two passengers in Menzie's car: Jodi Menzie, 27, East CR 250S, Pierceton, complained of chest pain, and Whitney Shepherd, 6, Miller Drive, Mentone, complained of abdominal pain. Both were treated at KCH and released. Another passenger in Menzie's car, 5-year-old Elizabeth Menzie, was not injured.
