Metal twisted so tightly it looked like debris left behind after a violent storm — that’s what rescue crews encountered when they reached the mangled pickup truck carrying 68-year-old Dale E. Wert. His Chevrolet Silverado had crossed the center line on State Road 15,
veering unexpectedly into oncoming traffic before slamming head-first into a small Hyundai Accent driven by 19-year-old Sarah Mischke. The collision occurred late Thursday morning just north of Waubee Road in Kosciusko County, a stretch of highway known for its steady traffic and limited shoulder space.
Both vehicles were traveling at full roadway speed when they collided, creating an impact so violent that pieces of metal, glass, and personal belongings were scattered across the pavement. The force was so extreme that a third vehicle parked along the shoulder was struck by debris and left visibly damaged.
Drivers passing through the area immediately called 911, and several attempted to offer assistance while waiting for first responders to arrive.Emergency crews faced a grim scene. Wert’s truck was crushed inward, trapping him behind the wheel. Firefighters deployed hydraulic rescue tools — often referred to as the “Jaws of Life” — to cut away layers of crumpled metal in an effort to reach him.
Once freed, Wert was quickly stabilized and transported by ambulance toward a Fort Wayne trauma center. Despite the urgent response, he later died from his injuries.For young Sarah Mischke, the outcome was tragically immediate. Paramedics determined she had succumbed to the force of the collision before they arrived.
Her compact Hyundai, barely recognizable, bore the brunt of the impact.The highway was shut down for hours as investigators mapped the crash site and worked to determine what caused Wert’s vehicle to cross into the opposite lane. Meanwhile, the community mourned the sudden loss of two lives on an otherwise ordinary Thursday morning.
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