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Final police report blames excessive speed in crash that killed Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski, 3 others

Staff members Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson and the driver of the other vehicle, 56-year-old Edith Schmucker, of Nappanee, died in the Aug. 3 crash.

ELKHART, Ind. — The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office concluded its investigation into a crash that killed U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski and three others in an Aug. 3 crash.

The investigation found the representative's district director, 27-year-old Zachery Potts, was driving at an excessive speed and went left of center, leading to the crash.

The 58-year-old congresswoman, Potts, and 28-year-old Emma Thomson, who was Walorski's communications director, died in the crash. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as 56-year-old Edith Schmucker, of Nappanee, was also killed.

The crash happened in Elkhart County when police said the SUV Potts was driving went to pass a flatbed truck. As Potts moved to go around the truck, the SUV collided head on with Schmucker's Buick. Data from the SUV's black box showed it was traveling at 82 mph five seconds before the crash and at 77 mph just milliseconds before the crash.

Police said there is no evidence or information that phones were being used prior to or during the crash.

Police said everyone in the crash had on seatbelts and airbags deployed.

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