Winamac Soldier Killed In Car Crash in Germany

U.S. Army Spc. Ryan Grandstaff
U.S. Army Spc. Ryan Grandstaff

A local soldier was killed early Wednesday morning in a single-car accident near his military base in Germany. Spc. Ryan P. Grandstaff, 24, of Winamac, was en route from Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany to an appointment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center when his vehicle left the road and hit a tree, according to a spokesman for the Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. German emergency medical responders pronounced Grandstaff dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. Grandstaff graduated from basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. in December of 2012. He was a crew chief with C Co., 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment.  Grandstaff is a 2009 Winamac Community High School graduate. He played football and ran track for the Warriors and is remembered as a team player who did what his coaches asked without complaint. He’s the son of Paul Grandstaff and Tammy Huskins, both of Winamac, and is also survived by brothers Sean and Kyle Grandstaff. Funeral arrangements are pending at Frain Mortuary in Winamac.