Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A Warsaw woman died in a two-vehicle accident Monday afternoon at the intersection of County Farm Road and CR 300S.
Carol R. Munson, 55, of East CR 375S, suffered head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene of the 3:01 p.m. accident. This is the third traffic fatality of 2002; the crash occurred at the same location at which two teens were killed and four other people were injured on Labor Day.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report, a southbound truck driven by Larry R. Kaiser, 46, East CR 700N, Leesburg, collided with Munson's eastbound car.
It has not been determined whether Munson stopped at the stop sign prior to entering the intersection. Police said both Munson and Kaiser's views may have been obstructed by a home on the northwest corner of the intersection. At least two witnesses said they weren't sure whether Munson stopped and Kaiser said that Munson "stopped or nearly stopped at the stop sign prior to entering the intersection," according to the police report.
Kaiser told police he was traveling at or about the speed limit at the time of the accident, but one witness said Kaiser appeared to be traveling "faster than normal," and another said Kaiser passed her prior to the accident, at Baker Street, and estimated Kaiser's speed at that time at about 60 mph.
According to police, Kaiser said he didn't have time to apply the brakes prior to impact and Kaiser's truck struck Munson's car in the driver's door. After the impact, Munson's car was pushed by the truck into a ditch on the southeast corner of the intersection.
Kaiser was not injured in the collision.
The accident remains under investigation.
Assisting at the scene were personnel from Warsaw police and fire departments and Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service.
