Nappanee teen dies while trying to get vehicle out of ditch
Jan. 17—TOPEKA — A Nappanee teen is dead following a three-vehicle incident in Topeka at 12:53 a.m. Sunday that started with a vehicle sliding off the road. The LaGrange County Sheriff's Office reported that Benjamin Lehman, 16, Nappanee, died when he was struck by a truck that went between two vehicles connected by a tow strap. A press release from the department stated that police were called to Ind. 5, near C.R. 750 South, after a 2009 Saturn Aura driven by Jon Helmuth, 16, Howe, slid off the roadway. Lehman was a passenger in that vehicle, police reported. Jacob Nickerson, 32, Warsaw, attempted to use a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado with a tow strap to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. Lehman was standing at the tow strap. Meanwhile, Stan Trusty, 40, of New Palestine, attempted to drive his 2017 Ford F450 between the two vehicles, unaware — due to the poor weather conditions at the time — that there was a tow strap holding them together, police reported. When Trusty passed through, Lehman was struck while between the Silverado and the Aura. Lehman was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash is still under investigation. Assisting the sheriff's deputies at the scene were the Shipshewana Police Department, Topeka Fire Department, Parkview EMS and the LaGrange County Coroner's Office.
TOPEKA — A Nappanee teen is dead following a three-vehicle incident in Topeka at 12:53 a.m. Sunday that started with a vehicle sliding off the road.
The LaGrange County Sheriff's Office reported that Benjamin Lehman, 16, Nappanee, died when he was struck by a truck that went between two vehicles connected by a tow strap.
A press release from the department stated that police were called to Ind. 5, near C.R. 750 South, after a 2009 Saturn Aura driven by Jon Helmuth, 16, of Howe, slid off the roadway. Lehman was a passenger in that vehicle, police reported.
Jacob Nickerson, 32, Warsaw, attempted to use a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado with a tow strap to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. Lehman was standing at the tow strap.
Meanwhile, Stan Trusty, 40, of New Palestine, attempted to drive his 2017 Ford F450 between the two vehicles, unaware — due to the poor weather conditions at the time — that there was a tow strap holding them together, police reported.
When Trusty passed through, Lehman was struck while between the Silverado and the Aura. Lehman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash is still under investigation.
Assisting the sheriff's deputies at the scene were the Shipshewana Police Department, Topeka Fire Department, Parkview EMS and the LaGrange County Coroner's Office.
