MARION – A Sechrist Lake resident died Tuesday afternoon after her vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree near Marion. According to the Marion Chronicle-Tribune, Dixie Burgauer, 57, who has a seasonal home in North Webster, was traveling southbound on Interstate 69 on her way to Muncie to attend a family member’s funeral. Her husband was traveling in front of her in his own vehicle. According to the Indiana State Police, her vehicle left the roadway around 2 p.m. and struck a tree. A bystander who witnessed the accident cut Burgauer’s seatbelt and removed her from the vehicle before it caught fire. Grant County Deputy Coroner Chris Butche said she had injuries to both her lower legs and injuries to the right side of her body, but didn’t sustain any burns and was identifiable at the scene. Burgauer’s husband told police his wife had a history of seizures, but stated they both had stopped at an exit in Huntington prior to the accident and she appeared fine. An autopsy is scheduled for today to determine what caused her death – whether she died before the crash occured from a medical emergency or whether she died from the impact of the crash. Burgauer didn’t have any passengers in her car at the time of the crash.
