Republican Jackie Walorski died in a head-on collision in Elkhart County around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Ms. Walorski, 58, has represented Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District since 2012. Police say a northbound passenger car traveled left of the center line and collided head-on with a southbound SUV. The Elkhart County Coroner’s Office and the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office are investigating. Ms. Walorski’s communications director, Emma Thomson, 27, and Zachery Potts, 28, the lawmaker’s regional director, were also killed, the sheriff’s office confirmed. The driver of the other vehicle, 56-year-old Edith Schmucker, was pronounced dead at the scene. Rep. Jim Banks, also Republican of Indiana, described Ms. Walorski as “his dearest friend and one of the greatest public servants I have ever met.” He added: “Everything Jackie did was to serve others. She had a heart of gold and I will miss her dearly.” Mrs. Walorski and her husband were previously missionaries in Romania, where they founded a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to poor children. He worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.
