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Mishawaka man dies in car accident in Elkhart County

By: NewsCenter 16
Updated: Wed 3:47 PM, Jul 11, 2012

A Mishawaka man is dead after an accident in Elkhart County Wednesday morning.

The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department says Joseph Richard, 71, from Mishawaka was heading south on County Road 7 and stopped at a two-way stop at County Road 40.

Another driver, Erin Chupp, 19, was heading west on County Road 40 and approaching the intersection. Police say Richard failed to yield to Chupp. That’s when Chupp struck the Richard’s vehicle on the side between the wheelbase and Richard was pronounced dead on the scene. The car slid off the road and rolled over on its roof.

Chupp also spun slightly and eventually came to a rest in the roadway. She suffers from a laceration to her left leg just above the knee.

A passenger in Richard’s car, Thomas Klaer, 72, was taken to a hospital. He suffers from fractured ribs and is in stable condition.

Both survivors were wearing seatbelts. Air bags in both cars did deploy. Richard was not wearing a seat belt though.

Toxicology tests were taken for both drivers and results are pending.


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