By DAVE SCHULTZ

and GLEN WERLING

Two collisions involving pickup trucks crashing into other objects — a line of vehicles on Ind. 1 north of Ossian in the afternoon and into a business building in Murray in the early evening — were investigated by personnel from the Wells County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday.

The four-vehicle chain-reaction crash on Ind. 1 south of the Wells/Allen county line caused two people to be taken to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne by Wells County EMS.

Above, Ossian firefighters sweep away debris from the four-vehicle pileup that occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on Ind. 1 north of Ossian.

The crash occurred at a location between Wells County Roads 1100N and 1200N where Indiana Michigan Power is replacing poles on an electric line paralleling the highway.

In order to facilitate parking two hi-ranger trucks safely on the road, I&M had the road narrowed to one lane with portable traffic lights governing traffic. It was at the north end of the construction zone where the crash occurred to southbound traffic. 

Two I&M workers check out the car that was at the front of the line and only sustained damage to the trunk end. (Photo by Glen Werling)

According to information provided by county police, a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Jeremy Wells, a 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage driven by Brittany Diggs, and a black 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Minerva Salas were stopped in the southbound line waiting for the traffic light to change. A 2013 GMC Sierra driven by Jared Westfall failed to come to a stop and collided with the back of Salas’s vehicle which was then pushed into Diggs’s vehicle, which was then pushed into the rear of the vehicle driven by Wells.

Salas and Diggs were transported to Lutheran Hospital with complaints of pain. The other drivers involved were treated and released at the scene by Wells County EMS personnel.

No ages or addresses were available for the drivers in the accident, which occurred at 3:06 p.m.

In Murray, a truck driven by Kenneth Rogers, 64, of Huntington, crashed into a building at 1124 Washington St. (Ind. 116). The building was the former site of Tom’s Outdoor Power business and is now the site of Sell It On LLC.

emergency vehicles crowded into the space around a business building in Murray after a driver fell asleep and his truck crashed into the building. (Photo by Dave Schultz)

Again, according to information provided by Wells County police, Rogers told investigating officers that he fell asleep at the wheel. He lost control of his vehicle, which went off the west side of Ind. 116 into the north side of the building.

Rogers complained of pain to his left wrist but was not transported from the scene.

daves@news-banner.com

glenw@news-banner.com

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