Last Updated on November 9, 2019 by Cass County Sheriff's Department
On Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 at approximately 7:04 p.m., Cass County Central Dispatch received a call of a three-vehicle crash north of Walton, near County Road 600 S on US 35. Deputy Brenton McDonald and Sheriff Ed Schroder responded to the crash along with Walton Fire, Galveston Fire, New Waverly Fire and Phoenix Ambulance Service. Initial scene assessment found a three-vehicle crash with the northbound lane of US 35 blocked by one of the vehicles and the other two vehicles off the east side of US 35.
Preliminary investigation by Deputy Brenton McDonald found that Jade Cook, 24, of Kokomo, had been driving a 2014 Jeep Cherokee southbound on US 35 when he drove left of center and struck two other vehicles.
Cook had to be extricated from the vehicle by fire personnel.
Lutheran Helicopter was requested at the scene by medical personnel to airlift Cook to a Fort Wayne hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The first vehicle struck by the Jeep was a 2005 Dodge van driven by Daniel Cope, 52, of Logansport. Cope was northbound on US 35 when he attempted to avoid the southbound Jeep by driving off the east side of the roadway. The Jeep continued southbound in the northbound lane, striking Cope’s vehicle and forcing him into the side ditch.
Cope, Lauren Cope and three children were transported from the scene by Phoenix Ambulance to Logansport Memorial Hospital witih non-life-threatening injuries.
The second vehicle struck by the Jeep was a 2011 Dodge pickup truck driven by Ronald Manriquez, 49, of Onward. Manriquez was northbound on US 35 when he attempted to avoid the southbound Jeep by driving off the east side of the roadway. The Jeep struck the Dodge truck, forcing it to come to rest on the driver’s side and off the roadway. After being extricated from the truck, Manriquez and his passenger, April Manriquez, were transported with non-life-threatening injuries by a Galveston Fire Department ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in Kokomo.
Deputy McDonald state this was truly an all hands on deck community effort to resolve the emergency situation and open the roadway as quickly as possible.
The investigation is ongoing and alcohol is not considered to be a factor in this crash. Anyone with additional information is asked -to contact the sheriff’s office- at 574-753-7800.
SOURCE: News release from Cass County Sheriff Ed Schroder