BATTLE GROUND, Ind. (WISH) – Family members have identified a body pulled Tuesday night from the Tippecanoe River in White County as a swimmer missing since Sunday, Indiana conversation officers said in a news release.
Indiana Conservation Officers were notified Tuesday that a boater found a body on the river near Arrow Point Court in rural Battle Ground in White County. That’s south of the State Road 18 bridge and about 6 miles downstream from where witnesses reported seeing a swimmer disappear below the surface of the water Sunday morning. The body was removed from the river about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Family confirmed photographs of tattoos from the recovered body matched those of Michael Bane.
Bane, 37, of Battle Ground, last communicated with family and friends about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Authorities believed Bane intended to swim across the river to a friend’s house.
A 911 call about 8 a.m. Sunday indicated a man was yelling for help as he floated downstream in the area of Camp Tecumseh and the river’s Tecumseh Bend west of Delphi in Carroll County, according to release from the Department of Natural Resources.
The White County Coroner will work to confirm the identity and determine the official cause of death.
This story corrects previous information from conservation officers on the age and hometown of Bane.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — A truck driver is believed to have lost control before a fatal crash Monday on the southbound exit ramp from Interstate 65 to Schuyler Avenue.
Kenneth Alexander, 61, from Battle Ground, Indiana, died in the crash, authorities said Monday night.
An investigation found Alexander lost control of a 2006 Dodge Ram while exiting I-65 and the pickup began to roll, ejecting him. Police said they believe he was not wearing a seat belt.
Alexander was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The crash was called in around 5:30 p.m. The ramp was closed about 90 minutes while police investigated.
BATTLE GROUND, Ind. (WISH) — Two people died Tuesday afternoon when their car went under the side of a semitractor-trailer, police said.
Lt. Robert Hainje with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office said the two people’s names were being withheld pending notification of family.
Police received a 911 call at 4:01 p.m. about the crash on State Road 25 North at the intersection of County Road 1075 North. Police arrived to find a gold 2009 Toyota Corolla had driven into the side of a maroon 2014 International semitractor-trailer driven by Jerry K. Watkins, 48, of Michigantown, Indiana. Watkins was traveling south on the state road and the Toyota was traveling east on the count road. Preliminary investigation indicated that the Toyota failed to stop at the intersection and “under-rode the side of the semi-trailer,” a release from Hainje said.
Seat belts were in use and airbags were deployed; however, the collision was too severe to be a factor and both occupants of the Toyota died on scene, police said.
Watkins was not injured in the crash.
The southbound lanes of State Road 25 North were closed about four hours during the crash investigation and cleanup.
Motorists reported there was rain in the area at the time of the collision; however, it is unknown if weather was a factor. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the collision.