Fatal crash on U.S. 31 in northern Indiana claims life of Cloverdale man

Monday, August 27, 2018
Mitchell Warner, 32, Cloverdale, was fatally injured in a two-vehicle accident Monday morning on U.S. 31 in Marshall County. Warner was driving the black pickup truck that struck the rear of the semi tractor-trailer near Plymouth.

PLYMOUTH -- A 31-year-old Putnam County man was fatally injured Monday morning in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. 231 in northern Indiana.

Mitchell Warner of Cloverdale was pronounced dead at the scene of the 9:30 a.m. accident between a pickup and a semi that occurred in the northbound lane of U.S. 31, just north of 11th Road near Plymouth in Marshall County.

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Ben Ennis indicates a 1995 Kenworth driven by Randall Grabowski, 49, of Bremen, had been traveling westbound on 11th Road prior to turning northbound onto U.S. 31.

As the Kenworth got up to speed in the right northbound lane of U.S. 31, a 2016 Ford F150, being driven northbound by Warner, collided with the rear of the trailer being towed by the Kenworth. The collision occurred approximately 500 feet north of 11th Road.

The collision caused Warner's pickup truck to become fused to the rear of the trailer, State Police said, and both vehicles moved to the right shoulder following the collision.

Warner, who was declared dead at the scene by the Marshall County coroner, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, police said.

Grabowski was not injured in the accident.

The right lane of U.S. 31 was shut down for approximately two hours for investigation of the crash and removal of the vehicles.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: