CARROLL COUNTY — A 26-year-old DeMotte man is dead after he was ejected from his vehicle that had struck a tree, rolled down an embankment near the Tippecanoe River, and caught on fire.
Justin Patton was found unresponsive near the place his car came to a stop and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office.
He was not in the car when it caught fire.
Patton was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt about 9 p.m. Saturday north on County Road 1200 West near County Road 600 North when he left the road and rolled down the embankment, which is adjacent to the river.
Sheriff's police and state troopers responded to the scene.
Drugs and alcohol may have contributed to the crash, though toxicology results were still pending Monday, the Sheriff's Office said.
An investigation is ongoing.
