Elizabeth Wilcox,Jennifer Stepek Obituary, Death; – Deputies responded to a two-vehicle collision in Cass County on Sunday evening, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and leaving one person injured.
On September 21, deputies from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene around 5:53 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 29 and County Road 400 South, following multiple reports to Cass County Dispatch regarding a serious “rollover” accident.
According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, initial reports suggest that a 2015 Nissan Sentra was traveling west on County Road 400 South when it veered onto State Road 29. At that point, deputies believe the Nissan entered the path of a 2020 GMC Sierra pickup truck that was heading south.
The driver of the Nissan Sentra, identified by deputies as 51-year-old John Stepek from Hammond, allegedly disregarded a stop sign at State Road 29 just moments before the collision with the GMC Sierra pickup truck. This assertion was reportedly supported by a crash reconstruction team, which indicated that the Nissan Sentra failed to yield to the GMC Sierra pickup truck prior to both vehicles coming to a stop southwest of the intersection.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the driver and a passenger, identified as 54-year-old Jennifer Stepek, were pronounced dead at the scene after being extricated from the vehicle by firefighters. As first responders shifted their focus to the GMC Sierra pickup truck, they found that the two occupants also required extrication from the severely damaged vehicle.
The front-seat passenger in the pickup truck, identified as 78-year-old Elizabeth Wilcox from Logansport, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver suffered “serious” injuries and was airlifted to Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
The roadway was closed to traffic for nearly three hours as investigators from the Logansport Police Department, Indiana State Police, Cass County Emergency Medical Services, Walton Fire Department, and Cass County Coroner’s Office collaborated on the scene.
The fatal crash is currently under investigation.
