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A Milford mother and her fetus died in a Kosciusko County crash.
Jessica Rodriguez, 23, was driving south on Indiana 19, just north of Hepton Road – south of Nappanee – when she drove off the west side of the road about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, deputies said.
Her Pontiac minivan struck a utility pole and flipped over. Rodriguez was thrown from the vehicle, which then rolled over her, pinning her underneath.
She died at the scene. Her 8-month-old fetus also died, said Sgt. Chad Hill, a sheriff’s department spokesman.
Rodriguez’s husband, Miguel Rodriguez, 25, and children Ethan, 2, and Ciara, 3 were also in the vehicle. They were treated at Kosciusko Community Hospital and released.
The crash remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County FACT team.
Investigators have no preliminary indication on what caused the vehicle to leave the road, Hill said. Road conditions were not a factor, he said.
Syracuse resident Samantha Morehouse said she had known Jessica Rodriguez since childhood. The two also worked together for two years at the Burger King in Syracuse, where Rodriguez was assistant manager.
“She was always full of charisma and was very outgoing,” Morehouse said. “She always made everybody’s day better.”
Morehouse said her co-worker always “kept the peace” at work and described her as “good at cheering people up.”
“She loved spending time with her kids,” Morehouse added.
Rodriguez was a lifetime Kosciusko County resident and graduated in 2004 from Wawasee High School. She also attended Ivy Tech Community College in Warsaw. She is also survived by a stepdaughter – Alexis Rodriguez, of Fort Wayne.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Owen Family Funeral Home in Syracuse. Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at North Webster Church of God, 302 N. Main St., North Webster, where Rodriguez was a member.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church. Memorials can be given to the “Rodriguez Children Trust Fund.” Envelopes are available at the church or funeral home.
