Double Fatality Crash In Noble County

NOBLE COUNTY, IN - Indiana State Troopers investigated a two vehicle crash that occurred this morning on US 6, approximately ¼ mile west of County Road 600 W that claimed the lives of two people from Kosciusko County. 

According to Senior Trooper Steve Malone, at approximately 8:30 am, a 1998 Oldsmobile Alero was traveling eastbound on US 6, west of County Road 600 W, when for an unknown reason, it traveled left of center.  In doing so, it struck a westbound 2008 International truck owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad.  As a result of the crash, both the driver of the Oldsmobile, Kevin L. Higgins, 45, of Syracuse, Indiana and his passenger Ariel C. Butcher, 19, of Warsaw, Indiana were pronounced dead at the scene by Noble County Coroner, Dr. Terry Gaff.  Malone said that both Higgins and Butcher were wearing their seatbelts, but because of the severity of the crash, their injuries were not survivable.  It’s not readily known if drugs or alcohol were a contributing factor or not.   

The driver of the truck, Martin E. Clement, 59, of Genoa, Ohio and his passenger, Jerry E. Myers, 58, of Oak Harbor, Ohio were both wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and were not injured.  US 6 was closed between US 33 and County Road 600 W for approximately four hours while emergency crews worked to separate the two vehicles and clear the roadway of debris. 

Malone was assisted at the scene by the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, the Noble County Sheriff Department, the Noble County Coroner’s Office, the Ligonier Police and Fire Departments, Noble County EMS and Campbell’s Towing.