Two injured in off-road vehicle accident in Kosciusko County

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 10:03 AM

By Staff report

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an off-road vehicle (ORV) accident that occurred in Kosciusko County on Saturday.

At 6:46 p.m., officers were dispatched to 3466 South Mill Road in the town of Mentone for an ORV accident with injury.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that a dirt motorcycle operated by Aaron Bontrager, 24, had collided with an ORV operated by Andrew Nicolai, 30. As a result of the collision, Alissa Nicolai, 28, a passenger on the ORV, was thrown from vehicle. She sustained serious injuries and was flown to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne with head and internal injuries.

Bontrager was transported by a private party to a hospital in Warsaw with a leg injury.

No one involved was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Conservation officers urge operators and passengers of ORVs to follow all manufacturers’ safety recommendations and properly use all safety equipment, including seatbelts and helmets.

Assisting agencies included the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, Mentone Police Department, Burket Fire Department, and Lutheran Emergency Medical Services.