West Point man killed in early morning accident

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Joel Gaona Rivas, 29, of West Point, died early Saturday in a one-car crash in southwestern Tippecanoe County, according to the sheriff's office and Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello.

Rivas lost control of his northbound Nissan Maxima sometime before 1:45 a.m. Saturday at the curve in the 5400 block of South Tippecanoe County Road 700 West, which is just south of West Point, according to the sheriff's office.

The car left the right side of the road and drove into a ditch, where it overturned, according to the sheriff's office.

Rivas was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the car, causing his fatal injuries, according to the sheriff's office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Speed is believed to have contributed to the accident, according to the sheriff's office.

Costello said an autopsy will be scheduled.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: West Point man killed in early morning accident