2 dead, including 17-year-old, in fatal Whitley County crash

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (WISH) — According to state police, an “unknown reason” caused six people to crash into truck in Whitley County, causing the deaths of two people.

Indiana State Police reported that the crash happened Tuesday at 2:40 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 9 and County Road 500 North near St. Matthews Community Church at Tri-Lakes.

ISP’s investigation says that six people were inside a 2012 Dodge Avenger when, “for an unknown reason,” the car went from the southbound into the northbound lanes. When it did, the car crashed into a 2019 Ford F-350 pickup truck and trailer.

Two people inside of the Dodge car were killed in the crash: 17-year-old Helmin Ruiz, who was driving, and 40-year-old Trinidad Vasquez. Four other passengers in the Dodge had injuries “that range from minor to severe,” ISP reports.

Everyone in the Dodge was from Huntington, Indiana, except for Vasquez who was from Fort Wayne.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

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