At approximately 7:06 p.m. Thursday, officers from the Indiana State Police, the Upland Police Department, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Department responded to a three vehicle crash on State Road 5 near State Road 22, in which a Huntington man died.
The preliminary crash investigation by Senior Trooper Jeremy Perez revealed that Monty Taylor, 54, Huntington, was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu southbound on State Road 5 near State Road 22. For an undetermined reason, the Malibu drifted into the northbound lanes. This caused a northbound 2009 Buick Enclave, driven by Tye Leming, 36, Marion, to take evasive action. The Buick could not avoid the Chevrolet and the vehicles collided nearly head on.
Parker Barrett, 18, Van Buren, was driving a 1986 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, northbound on State Road 5, behind the Buick Enclave. After the Malibu and Buick collided, the Malibu continued on and crashed into the S-10 pickup truck. The Chevrolet Malibu caught fire and was fully engulfed when first responders arrived on scene. Unfortunately Taylor was not able to escape the vehicle and was pronounced dead by the Grant County Coroner.
Leming and Barrett were transported to Marion General Hospital. Leming suffered from leg pain and Barrett had a non-life threatening head injury. Josiah Chellis, 9, a passenger in the Buick, was flown via medical helicopter to a Ft. Wayne Hospital. He was suffering from internal injuries.
This is an ongoing investigation.