Special to the Times Vedette
Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff Shane Jones reported a fatal single-vehicle accident occurring on Oct. 14 at approximately 2:50 a.m. Deputy Jones received a 911 call advising a vehicle had been located in a field near Frontier Road, just north of White Pole Road. The caller advised the vehicle had the airbags deployed, but no people could be found around the vehicle. Dispatch requested Adair County page out Adair Fire and Rescue, who arrived on scene a short time later.
Deputy Jones arrived on scene at 3:21 a.m. Upon arrival, he had been notified an occupant presumably from the vehicle had been located and was deceased. He observed a 2004 white Kia Optima sitting in a pasture. The vehicle was facing southeast and had extensive damage to all parts of the vehicle. No registration plates were located. The deceased individual, later identified as Ross Ingalise, 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, was lying face down approximately 30 feet north of the vehicle.
Deputy Jones was able to locate a money clip containing $55 and a driver’s license belonging in Ingalise’s front right pocket. The accident report stated that it did not appear as if Ingalise had been wearing a seatbelt. The front driver’s airbag had been deployed, as well as the side airbag on the driver’s side. All four doors were still closed, but the driver’s door had been bent open toward the top of the door from the impact of the crash, and the window was completely broken out.
Deputy Jones stated that it appeared Ingalise was traveling northbound on White Pole Road when the vehicle left the roadway. The roadway began to curve to the east but Ingalise continued straight, entering a ditch and continuing north. Ingalise continued north through the ditch until he struck an embankment along the side of Frontier Road. Frontier Road is just north of White Pole Road, and the intersection of the two roads is just to the east of where Ingalise struck the embankment. This caused the vehicle to go airborne while still traveling north. The vehicle continued through the air for several yards and struck the top hall of a telephone pole, causing the pole to snap in two. The vehicle continued through the air after striking the pole for several more yards until landing in a fence row of a pasture. Alter landing, the vehicle traveled through the fence at some point, ejecting Ingalise as the vehicle turned back to the southeast
A medical examiner arrived on scene, as well as a local funeral home agent, who transported Ingalise to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.