3 Teens Killed In Indiana Crash While Returning From Event At Local Church

Three teens were killed in an Indiana crash as they rode home in separate cars from an event at a local church, then collided at an intersection.

Indiana police said the crash took place just before 10 am on Thursday at the intersection with a four-way stop sign. The teenagers were in two different pickup trucks that collided when both vehicles ran the stop sign.

Along with the 3 teens killed in the Indiana crash, 3 more teens in the other vehicle suffered injuries.

Police said 17-year-old Timothy Bowman was driving in a Ford F-250 when he reached the intersection first. As he drove through the stop sign, a 1999 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by 17-year-old Thomas Crawford also ran a stop sign and broadsided Bowman’s vehicle.

Those killed were Bowman and his 18-year-old passenger, Jacob Vogel. Samantha Hanson, a passenger in the Dodge Ram, was also killed in the crash.

The teenagers had just participated in a Future Farmers of America event at Hopewell Church and were going back to school when the crash happened, police said.

After news of the crash spread, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Indiana FFA released this statement:

“The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and the Indiana FFA Association were very saddened to hear about the events which took place in Versailles, Indiana earlier today. The loss of any life is tragic and heartbreaking. That heartbreak is only compounded when the loss of life happens to those who are so young. ISDA and the entire Association send our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the South Ripley FFA Chapter, the local community, and the many friends and family members of all who were involved in this tragic accident.”

Police said the 3 teens killed in the Indiana crash were pronounced dead at the scene.

The triple fatal car crash was the latest in a string of tragedies in Versailles, a town of close to 2,000 people. An 18-year-old girl was killed in a crash last year while she was texting, and a 15-year-old girl was killed in an ATV accident in May. In January a popular teacher died in a car crash, and the town was rocked by fatal tornadoes in May.

“These are all very, very tight communities and everyone knows everyone,” said Katherine Taul, director of the Ripley County Tourism Bureau. “So even if you weren’t directly connected or related to them, it still touches everybody.”

“Our community’s been hit by so many sad things lately,” Taul added.

The 3 teens killed in the Indiana crash all attended South Ripley High School together.