ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – A traffic accident Thursday in Steuben County, Indiana took the life of garbage truck driver from Angola. 52-year old Thomas Phelps died during surgery at Parkview Medical Regional Medical Center in Ft. Wayne where he was flown by Samaritan Helicopter following the incident around 7:25 a.m. yesterday west of Flint on U.S. 20 east of County Road 800 West.
Sheriff’s Deputies said Phelps was struck by a semi-tractor trailer while standing on the passenger side of his garbage truck. He had exited his vehicle which was parked along the edge of the road and it was sideswiped by the semi driven by 56-year old John Winters of Findlay, Ohio. Winters escaped injury.
The accident, which remains under investigation, closed down U.S. 20 for nearly two hours.
