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MENTONE - A Mentone woman died in a Thursday afternoon accident, the second traffic fatality this week.
Ethel Jackson, 72, of West CR 200S, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 2:30 p.m. accident at the intersection of Ind. 25 and CR 900W, east of Mentone.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report, Jackson was eastbound on Ind. 25 when she made a left-hand turn in front of a single-axle Kosciusko County Highway Department dump truck driven by Timothy RL Zwick, 32, of East CR 150S, Pierceton.
The dump truck hit Jackson's car on the passenger side, pushing it into a yard on the north side of Ind. 25, just west of the intersection. Jackson suffered a broken neck and was pronounced dead at the scene. Zwick was not injured.
As standard procedure in a fatal traffic accident, drug and alcohol tests were performed on Zwick. The results of those tests will not be available for several days.
Zwick told police he was traveling between 50 mph and 55 mph when the accident occurred. The accident report notes no indications of braking were visible until after the impact.
The accident remains under investigation.
Damage is estimated at $2,500 to $5,000 to Jackson's car; $1,000 to $2,500 to the KCHD dump truck; and less than $750 to the property of Bob Hollaway, Ind. 25W, Mentone.
Assisting at the scene of the accident were personnel from Mentone police and fire departments and Mentone and Multi-Township emergency medical services.
