79-year-old Michigan man dies in Indiana crash in Miami County

DENVER, Ind. (WISH) — A 79-year-old Michigan man died in a morning collision in northern Miami County, the Indiana State Police said in a news release issued Wednesday night.

Joseph Wilhelm, of South Haven, Michigan, died in the crash reported about 11 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of U.S. 31 and State Road 16. That’s about 2 miles west of the Miami County town of Denver, and about a 90-minute drive north of downtown Indianapolis.

Master Trooper Jeremy Perez believes a 2021 Lexus driven by Larry Durham, 88, of Rochester, traveled into the direct path of Wilhelm’s southbound 2019 Honda CRV SUV while attempting to cross the federal highway. Durham was westbound on State Road 16 and attempted to cross the junction of U.S. 31. Following the crash, both vehicles came to a rest on the southwest quadrant of the intersection.

A medical helicopter took a passenger in the SUV, Barbara Wilhelm, 78, to an area hospital for the treatment of injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Durham and his passenger, Virginia Durham, 85, were taken by ambulance to a local hospital with injuries not considered to be life-threatening.

Alcoholic beverages nor narcotics are suspected of contributing to the crash, and the investigation remained incomplete Wednesday night as to the cause of the collision.

The city of South Haven, Michigan, is about a 2-hour drive north of the crash s...