Three people were killed and two were injured in a two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon on Ind. 25.
Phyllis Swick, 62, and James Swick, 65, both of Rochester, and Billy L. Hatfield, 66, of Mentone, all died from injuries suffered in the collision.
Janice Hatfield, 65, of Mentone, suffered severe chest and back injuries and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, where she was listed in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.
Marlene Fromader, 48, of Columbia City, suffered minor injuries and was treated and released from Kosciusko Community Hospital.
According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, Fromader was northbound on Ind. 25 near Ferguson Road when her 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche collided with a southbound 2005 Ford Freestyle driven by Janice Hatfield.
Evidence and witness statements from the scene of the crash indicate that Fromader's Avalanche lost control on the snow-covered road and slid sideways on Ind. 25, hitting the Freestyle.
Phyllis Swick, who was the front-seat passenger in the Freestyle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash by the Kosciusko County Coroner's office.
James Swick, a rear-seat passenger in the Freestyle, was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital and then transferred to Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he died from injuries suffered in the accident.
Billy Hatfield, also a rear-seat passenger in the Freestyle, was initially treated at Kosciusko Community Hospital then transferred to Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he later died.
Janice Hatfield told police she was wearing her seatbelt and Phyllis Swick also was wearing a seatbelt.
Airbags in both vehicles deployed.
Police were unsure whether James Swick or Billy Hatfield were using restraints.
Fromader was wearing a seatbelt.
The accident remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, Warsaw Police Department, Warsaw Fire Department, Multi-Township EMS and the Kosciusko County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team assisted at the scene of the crash.
