Thursday, June 7th, 2018

Celina man killed in truck-cycle crash

Accident occurs on Mud Pike

By Tom Stankard

Photo by Ed Gebert/The Daily Standard

A Mercer County Sheriff's deputy, left, investigates the scene of a fatal accident involving a truck and motorcycle on Wednesday afternoon in the 2200 block of Mud Pike.

CELINA - A Celina man has died from injuries suffered on Wednesday afternoon in a motorcycle-pickup truck accident.

James R. Hart, 71, Celina, was riding a 1988 Harley-Davidson westbound on Mud Pike at about 3:41 p.m. when he reportedly was struck by an eastbound 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck operated by Hunter Lee Wycuff, 20, Celina, as Wycuff was turning north into his residence at 2251 Mud Pike, according to a Mercer County Sheriff's Office report.

Hart reportedly was taken by emergency helicopter to Lutheran Hospital of Indiana in Fort Wayne, where he later succumbed to his injuries, the sheriff's office confirmed this morning.

Wycuff was uninjured in the accident, the report stated.

This marks the second fatal traffic accident this year in Mercer County.

Investigators so far don't know the reason why Wycuff failed to yield or if he had been distracted when the accident occurred, Capt. Martin Emerine said this morning.

Hart was wearing a helmet and Wycuff was wearing a seatbelt, according to the report. Neither alcohol nor drugs were determined to be factors in the accident.

No citations have been issued as the case is being reviewed by Mercer County Prosecutor Matthew Fox's office, Emerine said.

Deputies were assisted by personnel from the Rockford and Chattanooga fire departments and Celina EMS squad, the report indicated.

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