Authorities in Indiana have released a final report on the investigation into a crash that killed Republican Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, which says the vehicle she was in, driven by one of her staffers, was “at fault” for the crash. “Our investigation determined that the cause of the crash was driving left of center with a contributing factor of excessive speed,” the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Friday. “The vehicle at fault was the Toyota RAV4 driven by Zachery Potts.” The 58-year-old congresswoman and two of her aides, Potts, 27, and Emma Thompson, 28, were killed last month when the car they were riding in collided with 56-year-old Edith Smucker on an Indiana highway, killing Smucker as well. The final report explained that a witness described the Toyota RAV4 driven by Potts, 27, following a flatbed truck before slowing in an apparent attempt to create space between the two cars. THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS PAY RESPECT AT THE FUNERAL FOR EKP. JACKIE WALORSKI Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., appears before a House Ways and Means Committee sign at the Longworth Building on July 12, 2018. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) “The Toyota was then observed accelerating at a high rate of speed, closing the distance to the truck which has not been identified,” the report states. “As the Toyota approached the rear of the truck, it veered into the southbound lane where it collided with the southbound Buick driven by Edith Schmucker.” The report included data from the airbag control unit, sometimes referred to as a “black box,” that showed Walorski’s vehicle was traveling at 82 miles per hour five seconds before the crash and that the engine was at “idle speed.” , meaning the vehicle had “airflowed”. GOP SENATOR RECOGNIZES JACKIE WALORSKI PERIOD IN BILL DEBATE: ‘LIGHT UP A ROOM LIKE NO OTHER’ Representative Jackie Walorski was killed in a car accident in Indiana on August 3, 2022. (WSBT-TV) The Toyota RAV4’s speed was 77 miles per hour milliseconds before the airbag deployed, according to the report. “Airbag control unit data also indicated that the driver of the Toyota RAV4 steered the vehicle to the left shortly before the collision,” the report states. “The amount of steering input was consistent with the normal operation of the vehicle and was consistent with the eyewitness account.” DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS REACT TO EPA. WALORSKI’S TRAGIC DEATH IN A CAR ACCIDENT: “ONLY THE WORST NEWS” Representative Jackie Walorski was killed in a car accident in Indiana on August 3, 2022. (WSBT-TV) Authorities also reviewed cell phone data from all the people involved in the crash and found no evidence that the devices were in use immediately before or during the crash. In addition, no signs of mechanical damage were found. “All evidence and information gathered is consistent with someone trying to pass another vehicle on a two-lane road,” the report concluded. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Tributes from Walorski’s colleagues quickly poured in after news of her death last month, including fellow Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks, who called the congresswoman “a dear friend and one of the greatest public servants I’ve ever known.” . In late August, the Indiana Republican Party selected businessman Rudy Yakim to replace Walorski on the November ballot to represent Indiana’s Second Congressional District. Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips at [email protected]
