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COLUMBUS — Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department officers are investigating a single-vehicle crash in which a woman was found deceased inside the vehicle Monday afternoon.
Deputies responded to the wreck at 4:15 p.m. in the 13000 block of South County Road 100W after a caller said they saw smoke in the area, said Sgt. Dane Duke, a spokesman for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department.
The caller went to investigate the smoke and found a vehicle engulfed in flames, Duke said. The vehicle appeared to have hit a tree near the roadway.
When officers arrived on scene, they were unable to see within the vehicle or get close enough to enter it, Duke said. The responding officers used three fire extinguishers but were unable to put the fire out.
Personnel with the Southwest Volunteer Fire Department and Wayne Township Fire Department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. A single occupant was found deceased inside the vehicle.
The accident reconstruction team responded to the scene to conduct its investigation, which is ongoing, Duke said.
The identity of the victim will be released by the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office as soon as it is available, according to investigators.