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I-69 crash kills Fishers man, 2 others

PIKE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police believe drugs may have played a factor in a Pike County crash Friday night that killed a man from Fishers and two other people.

Indiana State Police responded to a report of a vehicle traveling north in the southbound lanes near the 48.5 mile marker of I-69 around 9:30 p.m.

An ISP trooper drove into the median to get the attention of a Chevrolet Tahoe traveling the wrong direction. The Tahoe driver, later identified as 48-year-old Brian Paquette of Newport News, Virginia, then reportedly made a U-turn and headed south in the northbound lanes.

Moments later Paquette collided head-on with a car driven by 22-year-old Stephanie Molinet of Elberfeld, according to ISP.

Molinet’s car was pushed into the path of an SUV driven by 44-year-old Jason Lowe of Fishers.

Lowe was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 46-year-old Samantha Lowe of Fishers, was taken to Deaconess Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. She remained in the hospital Saturday afternoon.

Twenty-one-year-old Autumn Kapperman of Boonville was a front seat passenger in Molinet’s car. Kapperman, who was five months pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Molinet was taken to Deaconess Hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Paquette, the driver of the Tahoe, was also taken to Deaconess Hospital with non life-threatening injuries and remained hospitalized Saturday afternoon.

Investigators believe drugs may have been a factor in the crash.

The northbound lanes of I-69 were closed for about three hours.