Howard County – Today at approximately 2:36 p.m., officers from the Indiana State Police and the Howard County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two vehicle crash on State Road 22 at Howard County Road 400 East, in which a Gas City, IN, man died.
The preliminary crash investigation by Indiana State Police Sergeant Rick Brown revealed that Charles McFarland, 74, Gas City, IN, was driving a 2004 Lincoln Town Car westbound on State Road 22. Cory Beals, 39, Kokomo, IN, was driving a 2008 Dodge pickup truck. He was stopped at a stop sign on County Road 400 East, facing north at the intersection of State Road 22. McFarland is believed to have suffered a medical episode, causing the Lincoln to veer off the south side of the road. The Lincoln then hit a culvert, went airborne, then hit the Dodge and flipped onto its top.
McFarland was pronounced dead at the scene. Velma McFarland, 72, Gas City, IN, a passenger in the Lincoln, was flown by medical helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital. She suffered non-life threatening injuries. Beals was not injured.
All participants in the crash were wearing seat belts. This crash is still under investigation, but at this time neither the use of alcohol nor narcotics is suspected as having contributed to the crash.
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