Jay Co. teen killed in crash

A rural Portland teen died from injuries he suffered after losing control of the vehicle he was driving Thursday night on county road 200 South.

Allen J. Dues, 16, was transported to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, where he later died.

Dues was driving a 2013 Ford Taurus east on county road 200 South just east of county road 500 East about 6:58 p.m. when his vehicle began veering left of center and then went into the ditch on the north side of the road, according to a Jay County Sheriff’s Office accident report. The vehicle continued east until it collided with a utility pole, at which point it began spinning and hit another utility pole. Both poles broke and fell into the ditch. The vehicle continued spinning east and came to a stop in a soybean field on the north side of county road 200 South.

At some point during the accident, according to the report, the vehicle caught fire and became fully engulfed in flames.

The report said Dues sustained severe burns to his back and a dislocated arm.

Dues was a Jay County High School junior who played on the Patriot boys tennis team.

The vehicle was towed, with damage estimated between $10,000 and $25,000.