This from the Pharos Tribune: GRANT COUNTY, IN — A 23-year-old Peru man and his 1-year-old son died in a car crash on Christmas Eve that ended with the vehicle fully engulfed in flames.
Braden Kaylor was driving a Toyota Scion south in the 7300 block of Indiana 37 at around 7:31 a.m. when he crossed the center line and struck a GMC Yukon, according to a crash report. The Yukon was driven by Ashley Farrell, 32, Elwood.
Kaylor’s vehicle traveled into a ditch and caught on fire. Deputies say it was fully engulfed when they arrived on scene. Farrell’s vehicle spun around and ended up on the other side of the road.
Kaylor and his son were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Deputies said the child was in a car seat, but it’s unknown if Kaylor was wearing a seatbelt. An autopsy determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma.
Farrell and three juveniles in the backseat of the Yukon were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at an Elwood hospital and released. Thomas Farrell, a front-seat passenger in the vehicle, was airlifted to a hospital for a leg injury.
Deputies said it is unknown if alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash. Results from a blood test are pending, deputies said.