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Two deaths resulted from two weekend accidents that occurred in Elkhart County.
Harlen Hursey, no age available, of Cromwell, died Monday from injuries suffered in a Friday afternoon accident on Elkhart CR 29, south of Elkhart CR 48, about 2-1/2 miles north of Syracuse.
Hursey was a passenger in a Jeep driven by his wife, Renee Hursey, 44, of Cromwell, when her vehicle was struck from behind by a car driven by Melvin Owen, 40, of North Harrison Street, Syracuse. The accident occurred at 2:45 p.m. Friday.
According to the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department, Renee Hursey was southbound on CR 29 when she slowed down because of a large amount of gravel in the roadway. Owen, whom police said was driving too fast when the accident occurred, then rear-ended the Hursey vehicle.
Jason James Gibson, 19, of Goshen, was killed when he fell off a Jeep driven by Clint Dennie, 19, of North CR 1100W, Bourbon.
According to the ECSD, Gibson suffered head injuries in the 1:55 a.m. Saturday accident on CR 9, north of CR 52, near Nappanee.
Police said Gibson and two other males were riding on the outside of Dennie's Jeep when the accident occurred. Gibson fell from the vehicle for an unknown reason and was pronounced dead at the scene. Dennie then drove to a residence on Elkhart CR 52, from which the other three teens were reportedly walking when they jumped onto Dennie's vehicle, police said.
Dennie was charged with driving while intoxicated causing death and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He was booked into the Elkhart County Jail shortly after the accident.
Dennie and another "rider," Neil Widmer, 19, of Goshen, were reportedly standing on the driver's side running board and another teen, Daniel Hawkins, no age or address available, was standing on the vehicle's bumper. Widmer was cited for illegal consumption of alcohol, police said, and Hawkins was not charged.
