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Motorcycle passenger killed in crash Friday
A Michigan woman was killed in a collision involving a motorcycle and a car on U.S. 231 South just north of the intersection with U.S. 40 Friday afternoon.
First responders were dispatched to the incident, which occurred near the entrance to the Deer Creek Hills subdivision, at about 4:25 p.m.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana State Police and Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department and Putnam County EMS were at the scene.
According to his report on the incident, Deputy Kyle Lee arrived to find a 2009 Jeep Liberty with heavy front-end damage stopped on the shoulder of the southbound lane. The motorcycle, a 2018 Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited, was wrecked several feet in front of the Liberty.
Lee found the motorcycle driver, Daniel Kruithof, 58, Hamilton, Mich., with a broken leg. Meanwhile, medical care was administered to the motorcycle passenger, Michelle Kruithof, 58. The driver of the Liberty, Rosemarie Shaw, 67, Greencastle, was unhurt.
Michelle Kruithof was transported to Putnam County Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Coroner Jon Myers provided that she succumbed to blunt force trauma.
The Cloverdale Police Department assisted with a separate incident that occurred nearby at about the same time. No serious injuries were reported with this one.
Curtis Wrecker picked up both the motorcycle and the car. Traffic was backed up considerably as the scene was tended to in the meantime.
It was determined that both were traveling southbound when Shaw rear-ended Kruithof’s motorcycle. Kruithof and his passenger, who were wearing helmets and leathers, were both ejected. He stated that he was going about 45 mph, the posted speed limit, when the collision occurred.
Shaw advised that she only remembered the sound of the impact and did not see the motorcycle until then. She stated that she was not going above the speed limit.
Lee reported that Shaw showed no signs of impairment and passed a breath test.