A man has been arrested after police say he struck and killed a worker in a construction zone in St. Joseph County.
It happened Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, on State Road 931 between New Road and Osbourne Road. Gary Matthew Carnicom, 54, was taken into custody on a preliminary charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death.
The 65-year-old man from Elkhart who was hit was pronounced dead at the scene.
Below is the news release given to 95.3 MNC from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor regarding Carnicom’s arrest:
St. Joseph County –This morning at approximately 9:37 a.m., a van driven by a 54 year old was traveling northbound on Indiana State Road 931 in the outside (right) lane. There were cones as well as an arrow indicating drivers should merge to the left. The northbound lane contained utility pole maintenance workers; the workers were after the cones. The driver allegedly continued to drive in the outside lane and struck a 65 year old worker. The worker was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The St. Joseph County Fatal Crash Team (FACT) was activated, per protocol. The driver of the van, Gary Carnicom, was taken to the St. Joseph County Jail and booked into the Jail on preliminary suspicion of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Death and Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. The arrest remains under review by the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office and no formal criminal charges have been filed; we anticipate a charging decision will be made tomorrow.
The FACT investigation remains ongoing, and toxicology results are pending. The name of the deceased individual is being withheld pending family notification.
