A weekend crash in Huntertown, Indiana has claimed the life of a Steuben County man after investigators say a suspected drunk driver crossed the center line and struck an oncoming vehicle. The crash occurred shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday on Coldwater Road near Cedar Canyons Road in Allen County. According to authorities, a pickup truck crossed over the center line and collided head-on with a car traveling in the opposite direction. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. On Wednesday, the Allen County Coroner identified him as Eric Levi Zent, 32, of Hudson, Indiana. The coroner ruled the death an accident — the standard classification for crashes of this kind — and determined that Zent died from multiple blunt impact injuries sustained in the collision. The driver of the pickup truck was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. As of Wednesday, the Allen County Sheriff's Department confirmed that no arrest has been made, though investigators have indicated they believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. The investigation into the collision remains active and ongoing.

Location and Infrastructure

Coldwater Road is a two-lane rural roadway running through Huntertown, an unincorporated community in Allen County, Indiana, located north of Fort Wayne. The intersection near Cedar Canyons Road sits within a largely residential and agricultural stretch of the county, where posted speed limits tend to be higher than in urban corridors and roadway lighting can be limited, particularly during early morning hours. Two-lane roads like this segment of Coldwater Road rely heavily on drivers maintaining proper lane position, as there is often no physical median or barrier separating opposing traffic. Head-on collisions resulting from a vehicle crossing the center line are among the most severe crash types on rural roads of this design. Allen County and Indiana Department of Transportation officials periodically evaluate rural intersections such as this one for signage, lane markings, and other traffic control measures, particularly following serious collisions.

Legal Rights and Considerations

Under Indiana law, drivers who operate a vehicle while impaired may face criminal charges, including operating while intoxicated (OWI), and if a fatality results, more serious charges may apply once an investigation concludes. Separate from any criminal proceedings, the family of a person killed in a crash may have grounds to pursue a civil wrongful death claim under Indiana Code § 34-23-1-1. Indiana follows a modified comparative fault standard, meaning recovery may be affected by the degree of fault assigned to each party. Claims involving fatal crashes typically involve the at-fault driver's auto insurance policy and may address damages such as medical and funeral expenses, lost income, and loss of companionship. Indiana's statute of limitations generally allows two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death action, though exceptions may apply. Individuals affected by this crash should consult available records and official reports for accurate, case-specific information.

Related Resources

• Allen County Sheriff's Department – for crash reports and ongoing investigation updates
• Allen County Coroner's Office – for information related to official death records
• Indiana State Police – for statewide crash data and traffic safety information
• Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) – for driver and vehicle record information
• Indiana Criminal Justice Institute – Traffic Safety Division – for state traffic safety programs and impaired driving resources
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) – Indiana – for victim support services related to impaired driving crashes
• Indiana Code Title 9 – Motor Vehicles – for state traffic laws and regulations governing roadway conduct

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