The Lead Off
- A 13-year-old boy died after a moped collided with a pickup truck in Howard County.
- The crash happened Thursday afternoon at a rural intersection near Kokomo.
- The Howard County Coroner has ruled the preliminary manner of death as accidental.
KOKOMO, IND. (WOWO) The Howard County Coroner has completed an autopsy of a 13-year-old boy who died following a collision between a moped and a pickup truck at a rural intersection in Howard County.
Authorities identified the victim as Evan Lee Shaffer of Macon, Georgia. He died after the crash Thursday afternoon at the intersection of County Road 750 West and County Road 00 North/South, according to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office.
Crash occurred at rural intersection
Deputies say the crash happened at approximately 1:51 p.m. Thursday about a 75-minute drive north of Indianapolis according to WISH TV.
According to a preliminary investigation, Shaffer was operating a red and black Zuma moped when it collided with a black Dodge Ram 2500.
Officials say the pickup truck was towing a trailer and was traveling southbound through the intersection at the time of the crash.
The driver of the truck was identified as 29-year-old Alexandria Doubet of Russiaville.
Victim pronounced dead at scene
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office says Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision.
The Howard County Coroner issued a release Friday stating the preliminary cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.
The coroner ruled the preliminary manner of death as accidental. Final determinations are pending the completion of autopsy review and toxicology testing.
Investigation continues
Authorities say the crash remains under investigation as officials work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the collision.
No additional details have been released regarding possible contributing factors at the intersection.
The Takeaway
- A 13-year-old boy from Georgia died Thursday after a moped collided with a pickup truck at a rural Howard County intersection near Kokomo.
- The Howard County Coroner ruled the preliminary cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries and classified the manner of death as accidental, pending final autopsy and toxicology results.
- Investigators continue to review the crash involving a Dodge Ram 2500 towing a trailer and a moped operated by the teen at the time of impact.
Next steps
The Howard County Coroner’s Office and sheriff’s investigators are expected to complete final autopsy and toxicology reports before issuing a final determination. The crash investigation remains ongoing as officials review all contributing factors.
