TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. — Police in Tippecanoe County say one person died in a two-car crash early Saturday afternoon.
Shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the 7500 block of State Road 25 South on a report of a two-car crash, and initial reports indicated that one of the cars was on fire.
The West Point Fire Department arrived and pronounced one of the drivers dead at the scene.
Police say the driver was wearing a seatbelt and their airbags deployed during the crash, but neither were effective in preventing fatal injury.
On Jan. 29, the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office identified the driver as 68-year-old Richard Slinker, of Attica, Indiana.
The driver of the other vehicle, identified as a 40-year-old man from Lafayette, was able to escape serious injury after his car became overwhelmed with fire following the accident. The Lafayette man was able to exit the burning vehicle and then was transported to a local hospital for additional treatment. Police say he was wearing his seatbelt and the airbags of his car deployed during the accident.
According to the preliminary investigation, police believe both cars were traveling on State Road 25 South, when the car belonging to the Lafayette man allegedly traveled left of the center lane after being unable to navigate a curve in the roadway. The car then struck the other in a head-on collision.
At this time, police say they do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
The investigation is remains ongoing.