Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017
1 killed in crash
By Ed Gebert
Photo by William Kincaid/The Daily Standard
Emergency responders on Tuesday afternoon secure the accident scene where a car and a straight truck collided at the intersection of U.S. 33 and U.S. 127, resulting in Mercer County's first traffic fatality of the year.
A 30-year-old Celina woman was killed when the car in which she was a passenger collided with a straight truck at the intersection of U.S. 33 and U.S. 127 on Tuesday afternoon.
Brandi M. Duke became the first traffic fatality of the year in Mercer County as a result of injuries suffered in the crash that occurred at 1:46 p.m., according to a Mercer County Sheriff's Office news release.
Duke, 4909 Nicholson Drive, was the passenger in a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by April L. Hall, 36, 222 N. Enterprise St., Celina.
The truck, a 2015 Freightliner driven by Timothy A. Humbert, 59, Fort Wayne, Indiana, was reportedly northbound on U.S. 127 and the Pontiac eastbound on U.S. 33 when the vehicles collided at the intersection and traveled off the northeast corner of the roadway, striking a pole before coming to rest, according to the news release.
Duke was reportedly transported to Van Wert County Hospital, Van Wert, where she was pronounced dead. Hall also was taken to Van Wert hospital and was later airlifted to St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima where she was listed in critical condition this morning. Humbert was transported by EMS to Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, St. Marys. He was not listed as a patient at the hospital as of this morning.
The accident remains under investigation at this time by the sheriff's office. The sheriff's office was assisted at the scene by Rockford Fire Department, Celina Fire/EMS, Rockford EMS, Rockford Police Department and Mercer County Emergency Response Volunteers.
