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On Friday, December 20, at approximately 6:13 p.m., Deputies and other emergency services personnel responded to the area of State Road 56 East and the bypass for a two-vehicle collision with injuries.
Deputies arrived on the scene and observed a silver 2007 Honda Civic and a red 2013 Toyota RAV 4 sitting stationary in the northern ditch of State Road 56 East, just east of Quaker Road.
The driver of the Honda Civic was identified as James Jacobs, age 55 of Ramsey, Indiana and the driver of the Toyota RAV 4 was identified as Michelle Richardson, age 40, of Paris Crossing, Indiana.
Driver statements, witness statements and evidence at the scene indicate that Jacobs was traveling northbound on the bypass approaching State Road 56 East, while Richardson was traveling eastbound on State Road 56 East. Evidence indicates that Jacobs disregarded a stop sign at the intersection of the bypass and State Road 56 East and traveled into the eastbound lane of State Road 56 East. Richardson then struck Jacob’s vehicle in the driver’s side, causing both vehicles to travel off the roadway.
Jacobs was transported by the Washington County Ambulance Service to St. Vincent Hospital in Salem for life-threatening injuries, where he was later pronounced deceased. Richardson was transported by the Washington County Ambulance Service to St. Vincent Hospital in Salem, for non-life threatening injuries.
Deputy Seth Goode is the lead investigator and was assisted by Sgt. Matt Hein, Sheriff Brent Miller, Salem Police Officers Chad Webb and Owen Bowers, Indiana State Police, members of the Salem Fire Department and the Washington County Coroner’s Office.
The Indiana State Police were contacted to perform a reconstruction of the crash scene.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.