Saturday night in northern Indiana, two close friends from Ligonier went out for an evening ride on a classic 1963 Triumph motorcycle. Lowell Penner, 64, was at the handlebars, with 58-year-old Leah Lichtenberger riding along as his passenger. They were heading south down State Road 13 just past 9:00 p.m., enjoying the open rural road.
As they reached the intersection at County Road 148, just south of Millersburg, Penner began slowing down. He was preparing to make a simple left turn west onto the side road, bringing the vintage Triumph T6R almost to a complete stop. Behind them, traffic was still moving at full highway speed.
A 2014 Nissan Rogue traveling in the same direction failed to stop or yield. The SUV slammed straight into the back of Penner’s motorcycle from behind. The force of the rear-end hit was immediate and violent, throwing both riders and the bike clear off the asphalt.
The impact launched the motorcycle off the western edge of the road, sending it flying into an open farm field. The SUV kept rolling south before also drifting off the pavement and coming to a halt out in the dirt.
First responders rushed out to the rural stretch of highway right after the 9:10 p.m. emergency calls came in. Emergency crews arrived to find a heavy scene out in the field. Both Penner and Lichtenberger suffered severe injuries in the crash and were pronounced dead right there at the spot.
Folks in Ligonier are feeling the deep shock of losing two community members in a single instant. Relatives and neighbors described both Lowell and Leah as warm, friendly people who loved spending time outdoors and taking weekend bike trips across local country roads.
Deputies from the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office spent hours at the crash site working under floodlights. Investigators noted that weather conditions were totally clear and the road surface was completely dry at the time of the collision. The sudden loss of Penner and Lichtenberger leaves a painful void across the small town they called home.
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