Driver in West Walnut crash succumbs to injuries

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

More than two days after being critically injured in a one-vehicle accident Saturday night on West Walnut Street Road, the 20-year-old driver has reportedly succumbed to her injuries.

Alexi Renee “Lexi” Daniels died Tuesday at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, where she had been airlifted following an accident west of Greencastle and just beyond the entrance to the DePauw University Nature Park.

Three other persons in her vehicle, a 2008 Ford F-350 extended cab pickup truck, were also injured with two of them requiring helicopter transport to Indianapolis hospitals.

Listed as critical was 24-year-old Breanna Sue Keil of Greencastle, a rear-seat passenger who was flown from the scene to Eskanazi Hospital in Indianapolis.

Two male occupants were both in stable condition following the accident. However, after front-seat passenger Coden Jared Hibler, 26, Mooresville, was initially taken via ambulance to Putnam County Hospital, it was later decided he needed to be flown to an Indianapolis hospital because of a painful pelvic injury.

The other rear-seat passenger, Steven Russell Deckard II, 24, Mooresville, was taken to Putnam County Hospital.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department earlier Tuesday released the names of the four victims in the Saturday night accident.

The accident occurred, authorities said, as the eastbound truck left the roadway shortly before 9 p.m. and struck a tree head-on west of the nature park entrance.

PCSD Sgt. Kyle Gibbons said markings in the grass indicated the truck left the pavement for approximately 50 yards before making almost head-on impact with a large tree on the south side of the road.

Other markings indicated Daniels tried to maneuver the truck back onto the pavement but could not clear the elevated edge of the concrete.

Deputy Gibbons said the truck actually clipped another tree before striking the larger tree virtually head-on.

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