A 20-year-old Kokomo woman was killed early Sunday morning after the car she was riding in left County Road 1350 East, went through a ditch, and slammed into a utility pole and telephone box before coming to rest in a field. Hope Justice Jones, who was reportedly seated in the rear seat, was ejected from the Honda Civic during the crash and pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies Dispatched Just After Midnight
According to the Howard County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at approximately 12:29 a.m. Sunday, responding to a report of an injury crash on County Road 1350 East, north of County Road 500 North. Upon arrival, deputies found a black Honda Civic in a field beside the roadway, according to Clinton County Daily News. Emergency medical personnel arrived to provide aid, and a medical helicopter was requested, though Jones was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver, identified as 21-year-old Morgan Killebrew, told deputies he was traveling south on County Road 1350 East when an animal entered the roadway. He reported losing control of the vehicle after its passenger-side tires left the pavement, the sheriff's office said. Authorities, however, have not established that the reported animal encounter was the definitive cause of the crash, per Country Herald.
Vehicle Struck Utility Pole Before Landing in Field
Preliminary crash reconstruction findings indicate the Honda left the west side of the roadway, traveled through a grassy ditch, and began sliding before striking a utility pole on the vehicle's right rear passenger side. The sheriff's office report notes the vehicle then rotated, striking a telephone utility box and the ground before coming to rest in the field — a sequence also described by WIBC, which reported the car went through a ditch, hit a utility pole and struck a utility box before stopping in a field.
Killebrew cooperated with deputies and consented to chemical testing. A preliminary breath test registered 0.00, and he was transported to St. Vincent Hospital, where a blood sample was collected for further testing. Results of that blood test have not been released.
Investigation Included Drone Mapping of the Scene
Sergeant Christopher Cramer responded to conduct the crash reconstruction, with the investigation including documenting roadway evidence, photographing the scene, and using an unmanned aircraft to capture aerial images for scene mapping, per the sheriff's office. The Howard County Coroner's Office positively identified Jones and notified her family, though the cause and manner of her death remain pending investigation, according to the coroner's office.
The Howard County Sheriff's Office was assisted at the scene by the Greentown Fire Department, Converse Fire Department, Community Howard Medics and Lutheran Air Helicopter Medics. The case remains active and under investigation by Deputy Nicholas Begley.
Seasonal Risks and How to Report Information
Country Herald notes that earlier sunsets and increased deer activity create seasonal hazards across Indiana this time of year, a backdrop to crashes like the one that killed Jones. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Deputy Begley at 765-614-3410, or to submit a tip through the Howard County Sheriff's Office mobile app or at sheriff.howardcountyin.gov.
