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Last updated on Sunday, April 14, 2013
(RIPLEY COUNTY) - Ripley County Prosecutor Rick Hertel is reviewing the state police report to determine if any criminal charges will be filed in a crash that killed three high school students in March.
Derrik Thomas, of TheIndyChannel.com staff reports, racing was likely the cause of a crash that killed the three students, police said.
Investigators initially ruled out racing as a cause of the March 7 crash that killed Timothy Bowman, 17, of Osgood; Jacob Vogel, 18, of Versailles; and Samantha Hansen, 18, of Holton.
Indiana State Police released a report Thursday saying two surviving teens told investigators the driver of one truck was speeding, trying to beat the other truck to an intersection, where they both ran the stop sign.
An eastbound Dodge Ram -- driven by Thomas Crawford, 17, of Dillsboro -- struck the northbound Ford F250 driven by Bowman.
"He was trying to get through the intersection ahead of the Ford to catch up with another car," said Sgt. Noel Houze, with Indiana State Police. "There was no indication that that car was trying to get away from him.The speculation that there was some racing going on, or they were playing chicken, is not there. The only significant speed was from the Dodge pickup."
Investigators said the intersection where the crash occurred is visible from all four directions by at least a quarter of a mile.
Investigators said there were no marks on the road that would indicate either truck tried to stop before the collision.
Crawford, Caleb Cumberworth, 15, of Holton; and Kayla Adkinson, 15, of Holton were all injured in the crash.
Hertel expects to have a decision by the end of next week.
To read more on this story visit http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/police-trucks-racing-to-intersection-before-deadly-ripley-county-crash
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