At approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday, officers from the Indiana State Police, the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department, and the Manchester Police Department responded to a two vehicle crash at the intersection of Wabash County Roads 800 North and 300 East, in which seven people were injured.
The preliminary crash investigation by Trooper Dustin Rutledge revealed that Johnathan Eberly, 17, Silver Lake, was driving a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban westbound on County Road 800 North, approaching a stop sign at County Road 300 East. The Suburban failed to come to a complete stop at the stop sign and drove into the path of a southbound 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. The Silverado, driven by Scotty Wilcox, 57, Urbana, hit the Suburban in the passenger’s side. The crash impact caused the Suburban to roll once coming to rest on its wheels.
Wilcox was transported to a Ft Wayne hospital with life threatening injuries. He is in stable condition. Eberly was transported to a Ft Wayne with non-life-threatening injuries. He has been treated and released.
Traceson Gearhart, 16, rural Manchester, a passenger in the Suburban, was partially ejected. He suffered life threatening injuries and had to be revived at the crash scene by first responders. He was transported to a Ft Wayne hospital. At last check he was in stable condition. Hannah Eberly, 15, Silver Lake, also a passenger in the Suburban, was ejected during the crash. She was transported to a Ft Wayne hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She has been treated and released. Three additional passengers in the Suburban, Liam York, 16, Manchester, Michael Ortiz, 15, Servia, and Lane Stetzel, 15, rural Manchester, were all treated and released from the hospital. Stetzel and Ortiz were checked at a Wabash hospital while York was checked at a Ft Wayne hospital. All the injured were transported by ambulance.
This is an ongoing investigation. At this time neither the use of alcohol nor narcotics is suspected as having contributed to the crash.