Milford motorcyclist dies in overnight crash

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A Milford man died early today when his motorcycle struck a pickup truck parked partly on a Kosciusko County road, the countywide Fatal Alcohol Crash Team said today.

Russell P. Whetten, 54, died at the scene of the 2:46 a.m. crash, the team said in a statement.

County sheriff's deputies and emergency workers responded to 188 East County Road 1150 North and found Whetten and his motorcycle in the roadway, the statement said.

It said he was westbound on the county road when the motorcyclestruck a pickup truck owned by Charles A. Byrket of Milford.

Byrket had backed his truck into his driveway to connect and hitch a mobile trailer to the truck just before the crash, and the truck was sticking out into the road, the statement said.

It said Byrket was not inside the truck at the time of the crash, but was at the rear of the truck connecting the trailer.

The crash remains under investigation, the statement said. The team was assisted by the sheriff's department, Milford police, Multi-Township EMS and Indiana State Police.