Police: Weekend 2-car crash in NE Indiana killed 4 people

MONROE, Ind. (AP) - Four people riding in a passenger car weren't wearing their seatbelts when it collided Sunday with a pickup truck in northeastern Indiana, killing all four travelers, police said.

Investigators said the car was stopped Sunday morning at a rural Adams County intersection with Indiana 124 when it drove onto the highway and then abruptly stopped for an unknown reason before continuing into the path of a pickup truck and they collided.

The Adams County Sheriff's Department said the car's four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as driver Jane Dannenfelser, 65, and Alan Dannenfelser, 72, both of Fort Wayne, and Scheryl Clifton, 76, and Duane Clifton, 93, both of Wilshire, Ohio.

The truck's 28-year-old driver was treated and released at the scene.

Sgt. Troy Habegger said that no one in either vehicle were wearing seatbelt. He said the fatal crash shows how important it is for motorists to buckle up because it can boost their chances of surviving a crash.

'Å“Christmas coming up in a few days, I'm sure they've got family, loved ones, family get-togethers that they were planning on attending. It's just really tragic this time of year," he told WANE-TV.