Three crushed to death and three seriously injured after combine harvester smashes into minivan

Three people were killed when a large farm combine smashed into their minivan in Western Indiana burying them and three other passengers beneath its blades.

The three survivors were reported with serious injuries when the combine allegedly failed to come to a complete stop striking the passenger vehicle in Tippecanoe County.

'I was shocked once I saw it,' witness Earl Harmeson told the Journal and Courier. 'I've never seen a crash that bad in real life.'



Crushed: Three people were killed and the van was badly damaged after it collided with a combine harvester in Western Indiana

Closing State Road 25 for more than two hours on Wednesday evening, emergency rescue crews worked feverishly to free the minivan's passengers by ultimately removing the driver's side door.

The driver of the John Deere combine 'claimed that he did not see the minivan, and they collided in the intersection,' Deputy Randy Martin told the paper.

Witnesses at the scene confirmed his claim but added that the driver didn't appear to completely stop before crossing.

The three fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene while the conditions of the surviving three were not immediately released.

Shocking: Even experienced police and firefighters at the scene were affected when they saw the horrific accident

The driver of the combine was not injured and neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to be involved.

No citations were issued with the case remaining under investigation.

'We do not see a whole lot of crashes involving heavy farm equipment,'



Deputy Martin said. 'When we do, they are usually serious.'

The crash occurred about 15 miles southwest of Lafayette.



