DARLINGTON, Indiana — Retired Gen. Dick Chastain and another person were killed in a house explosion in Crawfordsville early Saturday morning at the 2900 block of West 400 North.
The Crawfordsville Fire Department said the two victims were found dead around 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 5, and another person escaped the house and was then airlifted to a hospital.
The Montgomery County coroner confirmed the names of the deceased victims as Richard Chastain, 90, and Marilyn Fox, 91.
According to preliminary reports, Chastain’s adult son, David, was flown by lifeline to an Indianapolis hospital in stable condition.
The cause of the blast is under investigation, but officials are reportedly investigating the possibility of a gas leak.
A 90th birthday celebration had been planned for Saturday at the Darlington Community Center. Chastain was known by many, and a large crowd was expected.
“The community will be saddened by this tragic loss,” County Commissioner John Frey told The Paper of Montgomery County. “I can’t believe this has happened.”
Chastain has served a number of roles in the Montgomery County community. He was a member of the county council, where current county attorney Dan Taylor got to know him closely.
“He was very serious about his dedication to public service, and he brought with him an impressive level of professionalism,” Taylor said. “We were fortunate to have him on our county council. He was also very fun to be around. His wit and good nature helped him be the great leader he was. On a personal level, he made me better, and my estimation is that he had that effect on most everyone with whom he interacted.”
County manager Tom Klein agreed.
“He was on the council before I got here, but I know he was well respected,” Klein told The Paper. “He was a conciliator and a good member of the council.”
“Dick was a great public servant, served many years as general in the National Guard,” retired Sen. Phil Boots said. “The National Guard guys loved him. He wanted to do whatever he could to make Montgomery County better.”
Boots and Chastain were part of Kiwanis for a long time.
“There’s just a lot of things I could say about the guy,” Boots said. “He was well loved both here and around the state.”
A statement from the Indiana National Guard to 13News about Chastain reads:
We are extremely saddened by the loss of retired Maj. Gen. Richard Chastain, of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Maj. Gen. Chastain had served 36 years in the United State Military and Indiana National Guard. He was a proud advocate of the Indiana National Guard and still active in his community. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
NOTE: This story has been updated with a new location (originally Darlington) and information from the Crawfordsville Fire Department.