Tree falls on van, driver critically injured

SPENCERVILLE, Ind. (WANE) – A Hicksville woman was critically hurt in a crash Thursday afternoon outside Spencerville in DeKalb County.

According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, 27-year-old April Shugars was driving east on County Road 68 near State Road 101 at 4:39 p.m. when a large tree fell across part of the road and struck the vehicle.

Investigators said the tree fell onto Shugars’ minivan’s roof between the windshield and rear of the front seats. The van continued forward before going off the road and striking another tree head-on.

Shugars was pinned inside of the vehicle and was removed by members of the Spencerville Fire Department. She was taken to a Fort Wayne hospital with a fractured neck and cuts to her head. She was last listed in critical condition.

The sheriff’s department said two minors were also inside the van and suffered minor injuries.