Staff Reports
A local man was killed in a three-vehicle accident at 10th Street and Whitfield Drive at 9:03 a.m. Monday.
Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting identified the victim as Dennis Deffenbaugh, 73, Columbus.
Columbus police said Deffenbaugh exited the Lowe’s parking lot at the intersection and was traveling southbound when his 1995 Ford F250 collided in the intersection with a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by Nicoleta D. Dailey, 39, of Hope, who was traveling west on 10th Street.
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After the impact of the crash, Dailey’s vehicle struck a 2012 Mercedes GL450 sport utility vehicle, driven by Lorena V. Baird, 49, of Columbus, who was traveling east on 10th Street and stopped in the left turn lane on the west side of the intersection, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
Deffenbaugh was pronounced dead at the scene by Nolting. Deffenbaugh was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the incident, Nolting said.
The victim’s cause of death is listed at blunt force trauma to the chest and upper cervical spine, the coroner said. Manner of death is listed as accidental at this time. Toxicology testing will take two weeks, Nolting said.
Dailey was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital and later transferred to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment, Harris said.
Baird sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment at the scene.
The crash remains under investigation by Columbus Police Department crash reconstructionists.
While westbound traffic on 10th Street was allowed to move for more than an hour near the crash area, eastbound traffic was closed from South Marr Road to U.S. 31. When accident reconstruction specialists from Columbus Police Department and Indiana State Police arrived, both eastbound and westbound traffic on 10th Street was closed.
The accident is the first traffic fatality in Bartholomew County for 2021.
The following agencies also assisted at the scene: Columbus Fire Department, Columbus Regional Hospital EMS, Indiana State Police, IU Health Lifeline, and the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office.
