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ELKHART COUNTY – A traffic crash in southeastern Elkhart County has taken the life of a young Nappanee man and injured 3 others.
County police say around 6:45 p.m. Monday, a Jeep Liberty was heading west on County Road 50 east of County Road 35 when the driver tried to pass a horse-drawn buggy.
The SUV collided head-on into a moped, which was traveling east.
20-year-old Jeremy Yates was driving the moped and died on the scene.
Investigators say the driver of the SUV was undetermined, although they say 3 passengers in the Jeep Liberty were airlifted to the hospital. All had non-life threatening injuries. They’re identified as 28-year-old Melissa Yoder of Ligonier, 20-year-old William Perry of Goshen and 20-year-old Randell Purtell of Milford.
Oneof Yates' best friends, Brandon Carr, returned to the crash scene on Tuesday after being there late Monday night after the accident.
Carr was shocked by what happened to his friend but says he will always remember the good things about him.
"He was a good kid," said Carr. "He loved to fish. He'd do anything for anybody. He never caused no harm to no one."
Police say Perry and Purtell were not wearing their seatbelts.
The accident was about 11 miles southeast of Goshen's city limits.