Sheriff John Peper was killed in a single-vehicle accident on U.S. 52, four miles north of Lebanon, while responding to the scene of another accident.

   He was a passenger of the vehicle driven by a deputy, who was his brother-in-law, when it went out of control on the sleet-covered roadway and flipped over.

   Sheriff Peper suffered fatal injuries when he was thrown into the back seat. The deputy suffered only minor injuries and survived.

   Sheriff Peper was survived by his wife, sister and three brothers. His wife, Audra, was appointed sheriff to serve the remainder of his term, becoming the first female sheriff of Boone County and the fifth female to serve as a sheriff in the state of Indiana.