17 year old from Batesville
On Saturday, September 28, 2019, at approximately 11:45 am, the Indiana State Police and Ripley County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle crash on Legion Road near Batesville that resulted in the death of a 17 year old Batesville youth.
The initial investigation by Trooper Matt Holley, Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team, indicated that a white 2003 Dodge Ram, being driven by Caleb W. D. Zapfe, age 16, Batesville, Indiana was traveling westbound on Legion Road near County Road 200 East in Ripley County. For an unknown reason, the vehicle left the south side of the road. Zapfe then overcorrected, causing the vehicle to leave the north side of the road before overturning.
Zapfe sustained non-life threatening injuries in the collision. A passenger in Zapfe’s vehicle, Kaleb G. Norton, age 17, Batesville, Indiana was ejected from the vehicle. Norton sustained fatal injuries in the crash. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Ripley County Coroner’s Office. Norton was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The investigation is ongoing. Toxicology results are pending at this time.
Kaleb Norton’s family has been notified.
The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, Batesville Police Department, Ripley County EMS, and Ripley County Coroner’s Office.