NORTH VERNON — An Osgood man was killed in a two-vehicle crash north of North Vernon early Tuesday morning.
Indiana State Police said a maroon Ford Taurus driven by Justin M. Rangel, 26, Osgood, was traveling east on the U.S. 50 bypass, just east of State Road 3.
For an unknown reason, Rangel’s vehicle crossed the centerline into the path of a westbound Mack truck pulling a loaded trailer driven by Todd E. Lennartz, 49, Fort Recovery, Ohio.
The vehicles collided nearly head-on in the westbound lane of U.S. 50, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman.
Rangel sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jennings County Coroner’s Office, Wheeles said. Lennartz was transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
Toxicology results on both drivers are pending at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
U.S. 50 was closed just east of State Road 3 for nearly four hours for crash investigation and cleanup.
The accident was investigated by Trooper Matthew Holley, Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team. Assisting at the scene were the North Vernon Police Department, Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, North Vernon Fire Department, Jennings County EMS, Jennings County Coroner’s Office, 31 Wrecker Service, and Lee’s Wrecker Service.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
