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A Warsaw teen was killed Thursday night when his car crashed into a concrete barrier at the intersection of Leiter and Greenhill drives, Warsaw.
James Wayne Popenfoose, 18, Chapman Lake Drive, died of massive chest and neck injuries when his car hit the 30-inch high, 12-inch thick traffic barrier.
Emergency units arrived at the scene at 9:37 p.m. to find a red Pontiac Trans Am with one passenger sitting outside. Police investigators report the vehicle made no evasive manuevers to avoid hitting the wall.
Preliminary investigations found alcohol was not a factor in the accident, according to Kosciusko County coroner John Sadler.
Three passengers in Popenfoose's car survived the collision despite not using seatbelts and were transported to Kosciusko Community Hospital.
Joshua T. Boren, 19, West Canal Street, Winona Lake, and Stephan D. Brickle, 18, Dubois Drive, Columbia City, were transferred from KCH to Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne. Boren is listed in fair condition and Brickle is in serious condition.
A fourth passenger, Jacob R. Gilmer, 18, Pope Avenue, Winona Lake, was treated at KCH and released.
Sadler said Popenfoose's death might have been prevented if he had been wearing his seatbelt.
Two of the passengers had to be removed from the car by cutting off the roof.
The accident remains under investigation by the Warsaw Police Department and the Kosciusko County coroner's office.
