Names of two people killed in a two-vehicle moped crash on State Road 56 west of Ireland Saturday evening have been released.
Investigators believe James Posey, 26, of Jasper, and his passenger, 25-year-old Ashley Stephens, also of Jasper, had stopped their moped in the eastbound lane of State Road 56, just west of County Road 600 West near Ireland.
Just after stopping, they were struck by a 1995 Dodge Ram truck, driven by 27-year-old Benjamin Braunecker of Jasper.
Braunecker was unable to see the moped as he was approaching until the last moment, and was unable to avoid the collision.
Families of the deceased have been notified.
The crash remains under investigation by Indiana State Police crash reconstructionists.
At 8:35 PM, Braunecker was traveling eastbound on State Road 56, east of County Road 600 West, when he encountered a moped with two riders, stopped in the roadway.
Braunecker was unable to avoid the moped and struck them with his 1995 Dodge Ram pick-up truck, dragging the moped almost 200 feet before coming to a stop.
One rider was thrown from the moped, the second was pinned under the truck.
The driver of the moped was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Dubois County Coroner’s Office. The passenger was transported to Memorial Hospital in Jasper, where she died shortly after arriving.
State Police was assisted by the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Ireland Fire Department, Memorial Hospital EMS, and the Dubois County Coroner’s Office.
