ISP press release
Union County – Sunday afternoon, June 7, just after 3:30 p.m. Indiana State Police troopers and Union County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called to the 2700 block of Nine Mile Road for a report of a serious injury two-vehicle crash. Trooper Luke Tipton arrived to find two vehicles had hit head on, and there were three fatalities at the scene.
The early investigation by Tipton and ISP crash reconstruction investigator trooper Mark Hanna indicates a Ford Fusion, driven by Savanna Kinder, 23, of Richmond, was southbound when her vehicle ran off the right side of the road. The driver overcorrected, and the car came back across the road into the path of a northbound Mercedes, with the two cars hitting head on in the northbound lane.
The driver of the Fusion, Savanna Kinder, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes, Conner Brite, age 22 of Decatur,, age 22 of Decatur, as well as back seat passenger, Jordan Fuelling, age 20 of Decatur, also succumbed to their injuries at the scene. A front seat passenger, Trevor Ortiz, of Decatur, was transported from the scene but later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
It is believed excessive speed played a role in the cause of the collision. All occupants of both vehicles were wearing safety belts. Troopers Tipton and Hanna were assisted at the scene by the Union County Sheriff’s Department, Liberty and Richmond Fire Departments and Spirit EMS.