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A North Webster woman was killed and four other people were injured in a Sunday morning accident near Leesburg, and a Pierceton man is in serious condition after being found in a ditch hours after another Sunday morning accident.
Trudy A. Detwiler, 43, of North CR 675E, North Webster, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 11:25 a.m. accident at the intersection of CRs 450N and 175E, near Leesburg. She suffered head and neck injuries.
Detwiler was the driver of a car that apparently pulled into the path of another vehicle. A Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report noted that Detwiler was northbound on CR 175E when she slowed but did not stop for the stop sign.
Her car was struck by a vehicle driven by Mary A. Miller, 41, of Nye Street, Warsaw. Police said Miller was unable to avoid the collision.
Miller suffered facial bleeding and was treated at Kosciusko Community Hospital and released.
A passenger in Detwiler's car, Joshua Detwiler, 15, of North Webster, was airlifted from KCH to Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne, where he was treated for head injuries. He was released from the hospital this morning.
Also injured was another passenger in Detwiler's car, Michael Woolwine, 25, of Elkhart, and a passenger in Miller's vehicle, Charles Vaden, 30, North Levi Lee Road, Warsaw. Both suffered head injuries and were treated at KCH and released.
Police said it is believed that occupants of both vehicles were wearing seat belts and that alcohol was not a factor. Damage to each vehicle is estimated at $5,000 to $10,000.
The accident remains under investigation.
Assisting at the scene were officers from Indiana State Police and North Webster Police Department and personnel from Leesburg Fire Department and Plain Township, North Webster and Multi-Township emergency medical services.
In an accident that was discovered about 7:43 a.m. Sunday, a Pierceton man was airlifted to Parkview after suffering unspecified injuries.
Robert W. Stephens, 24, of East Washington Road, Pierceton, was listed in serious condition this morning at Parkview.
According to a KCSD report, Stephens' van went off the road along U.S. 30, 800 feet east of CR 450E, near Pierceton, striking a guardrail and trees.
Stephens told police he was in the ditch for two to three hours before a passerby noticed the vehicle and stopped. He was ejected from the vehicle.
The van Stephens was driving came to rest about 200 feet west of where it left the roadway.
Damage is estimated at $5,000 to $10,000 to Stephens' van and $750 to $1,000 to a Kosciusko County Highway Department guardrail.
