Defiance Man Charged Following Fatal Steuben County Boat Trailer Crash

A pontoon boat crash in Steuben County, Indiana, left one man dead and led to the arrest of the pickup driver towing the vessel’s trailer. Investigators say a 20-year-old man from Sherwood, Ohio, died after being ejected from an overturned pontoon boat near US 20 and Metz Road, just outside the Angola city limits, shortly before 7:15 p.m. on July 4, 2026. The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office said the boat became detached from the trailer during a turn, overturned, and trapped the victim underneath. After initial medical care at the scene and transport to Parkview Regional Medical Center, the man later died early the next morning. A 22-year-old Defiance, Ohio resident driving a 2015 GMC Sierra was arrested on preliminary OWI-related charges. Authorities allege impairment and charged Chase Gustwiller with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person and Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Death, after posting a $10,000 surety bond.