What happened in the Wells County crash
Prosecutors have filed charges in the April crash on a Wells County road that killed a passenger. According to 21Alive's review of the court documents[1], an Indiana State Police reconstruction recovered the vehicle's event data recorder, which logged a speed of 124 miles per hour 2.5 seconds before impact.
The crash occurred Sunday, April 5, 2026, at approximately 2:45 p.m. According to 21Alive's initial report[2], a white 2018 BMW traveling north on County Road 200 West near County Road 1200 South crossed the center line, struck a utility pole passenger-side first with enough force to snap the pole in half, and rolled into a field. Passenger Gavyn Orlando, 19, of Hartford City died at the scene. A second passenger, Anthony Dalley, 20, of Montpelier, was ejected and taken to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. The driver was taken to a local hospital.
On Friday, August 28, 2026, prosecutors charged the driver, Hunter Cooper, 21, of Hartford City, with reckless homicide, involuntary manslaughter, criminal recklessness, and reckless driving. According to 21Alive, Cooper told police he was traveling about 60 miles per hour and lost control over a little hill. His toxicology was negative for alcohol and drugs. This is charged as a speed case, not an impairment case. Every statement about the driver's conduct is an allegation in a charging document, not a proven fact, and the case is pending.
Why the county location matters
The geography has been reported inconsistently. The vehicle was northbound on a road that begins as Blackford County Road 600 East and becomes Wells County Road 200 West at the county line. The crash itself occurred in Wells County. The Hartford City News-Times April report[3] described a Blackford County resident dying in the crash, which refers to where the decedent lived, not where the crash happened. The Mercer County Outlook also reported on the fatal crash[4].
The Wells County Sheriff's Department made the initial response, and the Indiana State Police handled the crash reconstruction. A crash in Wells County will ordinarily be venued in the Wells County courts. County lines can determine which court hears a case, which prosecutor files charges, and which agency holds the records.
What families should know about vehicle data
Most modern vehicles carry an event data recorder that may capture speed, braking, throttle, and seatbelt status in the seconds before a crash. That information can differ from what a driver reports. The data survives only as long as the vehicle does, which is why you should not allow a wrecked vehicle to be released, sold for salvage, or crushed while important questions remain. More detail is available in the firm's guide to preserving passenger-vehicle event data recorder evidence.
If someone in your family was hurt or killed as a passenger, request the crash report from the investigating agency. Ask whether a reconstruction was performed and whether the recorder was downloaded. Keep the vehicle, or document in writing that you requested its preservation. Photographs of the scene, including any tire marks and the object struck, may also matter. The firm's guide explains how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Passenger claims and Indiana deadlines
A passenger is in a different position from a driver. If you were riding in a vehicle and were hurt, you may have a claim against the driver and applicable insurance coverage, including when the driver is a friend or family member. In practice, the claim is generally handled through insurance. You can read more about injured passenger claims in Indiana.
Indiana's wrongful death statutes govern fatal claims. IC 34-23-1-1[5] is the general wrongful death statute, IC 34-23-1-2[6] addresses the death of an adult without dependents, and IC 34-23-2-1[7] addresses the death of a child. Which statute applies depends on the decedent's family circumstances and affects who may file and what may be recovered. A wrongful death claim generally must be brought within two years of the death, and the general personal injury limitations period is two years under IC 34-11-2-4[8]. A criminal filing months after a crash does not extend those deadlines.
Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[9]. An injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing; otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. A passenger's conduct and the evidence must still be evaluated on the facts rather than assumed.
Insurance coverage may limit recovery. Indiana's minimum liability limits under IC 9-25-4-5[10] are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. When multiple people have claims, available limits may need to be divided. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[11], and coverage through an injured person's policy or household policy may apply depending on the policy terms. If an injured person is a minor, IC 34-11-6-1[12] tolls the limitations period during the legal disability.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm can help a family preserve a vehicle and its data, obtain the reconstruction file, and identify insurance policies that may apply after a fatal or catastrophic crash. Families can request a free case evaluation to discuss the facts and next steps.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation and criminal case may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
Sources
- 21Alive's review of the court documents (21alivenews.com) ↩
- 21Alive's initial report (21alivenews.com) ↩
- Hartford City News-Times April report (hartfordcitynewstimes.com) ↩
- Mercer County Outlook also reported on the fatal crash (mercercountyoutlook.net) ↩
- IC 34-23-1-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-23-1-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-23-2-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-11-2-4 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-51-2-6 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
- IC 34-11-6-1 (iga.in.gov) ↩
