Truck driver killed in crash, fire

NAPPANEE — Police were investigating a fatal tanker truck rollover crash that occurred Friday west of the city.

Officers with the Nappanee Police Department and an Indiana State Police trooper responded to the single-vehicle crash on Tomahawk Trail near ATC Trailers at 12:55 p.m.

An Indiana State Police report said the preliminary investigation indicates that a straight truck tanker was travelling southbound on Tomahawk Trail when it is believed the truck ran off the road to the right and lost control. As the truck came back onto the roadway, it rolled onto its right side and continued to slide southbound. As the truck slid, it caught on fire and spun around, coming to rest facing north in the northbound lane.

The driver of the truck was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Elkhart County Coroner’s Office. The coroner will make positive identification of the driver following an autopsy, the report said.

The Nappanee Fire Department, Bremen Fire Department and Elkhart Fire Department all responded to get the large fire under control. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) also responded due to the truck’s cargo of flammable material.