Saturday, November 2nd, 2019
Two die in two-vehicle crash
Husband, wife from Springfield; driver of other vehicle injured
By Leslie Gartrell
Photo by Dan Melograna/The Daily Standard
The occupants of this Jeep were killed Friday in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State routes 49 and 707.
BLACKCREEK TWP. - Two people were killed on Friday in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of state routes 49 and 707.
Malcolm Hughes, 67, and his wife, Judy, 65, of Springfield were pronounced dead at the scene by Mercer County Coroner Timothy Heinrichs, according to a news release from Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey.
Dispatchers received the call at 11:50 a.m., according to Mercer County Sheriff's Capt. Martin Emerine. William Hamrick, 65, of 1288 Mercer-Van Wert County Line Road, Willshire, was driving a Chevy 3500 pickup truck southbound on State Route 49 when it was struck by the Springfield couple's Jeep, which was westbound on State Route 707.
Emerine said Malcolm Hughes, who was driving the Jeep, failed to yield at the intersection.
Hamrick was transported to Adams Memorial Hospital in Decatur, Indiana, with non-life threatening injuries, according to Grey.
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office, Mercer County Emergency Response Volunteers, Rockford Fire Department, Celina Fire Department, Chattanooga Fire Department and Mercer County EMS responded.
No information was available at press time on whether the victims were wearing seatbelts or if drugs or alcohol were factors. The crash remains under investigation, Grey said.
The deaths represent the eighth and ninth traffic fatalities in the county this year and the eighth fatal crash.