On 09/01/2019 just after 3:30 pm, Steuben County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the area of SR 327 north of US 20 for a reported vehicle fire. Upon the arrival if initial responding deputies, a gold colored Ford SUV located off of the west side of SR 327 was found to be fully engulfed in flames. Once the fire was fully suppressed, one deceased occupant was removed from inside the vehicle.

Preliminary investigation at the scene indicated that the Ford SUV was traveling southbound on SR 327 at a high rate of speed when the vehicle left the west side of the roadway for an unknown reason colliding head-on with a large tree which ignited the fire. The deceased occupant appeared to be the driver of the vehicle. The weather was clear and the roadway was dry at the time of the crash.

It's unknown at this time if alcohol was a factor in the crash or not. The crash still remains under investigation by the Sheriff's Office. The identity of the driver is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin by the Steuben County Coroner's Office.

Assisting the Sheriff's Office at the scene were the Indiana State Police, Orland Police, Orland Fire Department, Steuben County EMS, and the Steuben County Coroner's Office.