16-year-old killed in crash on State Road 5

LAGRANGE COUNTY, Ind. - A 16-year-old was killed in a three-vehicle crash on State Road 5 near County Road 750 South early Sunday morning, according to the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies were called to the area just before 1 a.m.

There, they learned the 16-year-old was a passenger in a vehicle that slid off the road and into a ditch. The victim was standing at a tow strap tied between his vehicle and a second vehicle when a third vehicle drove between the vehicles, unable to see the tow strap because of the weather, according to investigators.

The 16-year-old, later identified as Benjamin Lehman of Nappanee, was struck at some point and pronounced dead at the scene.

We previously reported the 16-year-old was in a second vehicle trying to help another vehicle out of the ditch. We have updated the story to reflect the correct information.