Two drivers died Sunday night east of Ligonier after a car slid across the centerline and collided with an oncoming car, according to a news release from the Noble County Sheriff’s Department.
William Crandall was driving a 1997 Ford Contour east on U.S. 6 when the car went off the right side of the road, east of County Road 300 West. Crandall overcorrected, lost control of the car and skidded sideways across the middle of the two-lane road, the release stated.
The front passenger side of the Contour collided with the front of a westbound 1997 Pontiac Grand Am. Crandall, 44, of Butler, and the Pontiac driver, George Harmon, 65, of Ligonier, died at the scene, the release stated.
Harmon’s passenger, Laura Harmon, 60, of Ligonier, injured her legs, possibly breaking them, deputy Jason Koontz said.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene just before 8 p.m., and Laura Harmon was flown to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne, the release said. On Monday evening, she was in critical condition, hospital staff said.
Koontz said witnesses reported that Crandall had passed several vehicles at a high speed just before the crash, leading investigators to believe his speed was a factor and that he was at fault.
Investigators have found no evidence to explain why Crandall went off the road, Koontz said. The blacktop was clear and dry at the time.
Koontz said nothing suggests that drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results of both men.
All three motorists were wearing seat belts, and air bags deployed in both cars, he said.
