Local Authorities Can't Explain Recent Rash Of Traffic Fatalities

Last updated on Tuesday, July 29, 2008

(UNDATED) - Traffic fatalities in the State of Indiana are down 26% according to the National Safety Council, but South Central Indiana doesn’t appear to be helping those numbers.

Area law enforcement officials appear befuddled by the strange rise in roadway fatalities in the WBIW listening area this month.

So far, in July, 8 people have lost their lives in traffic accidents in Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan, Brown, Owen and Jackson Counties, most of them are bikers.

Officials at the Indiana State Police Bloomington post say the anomaly may be attributed to "driver inattention," which, Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig speculatively agrees with.

Craig says many times, people who have green lights feel they don't have to check for other traffic at intersections.

Bedford Police Department Assistant Chief Dan Kirk tells WBIW News that he's stumped too, but that it could either be road rage leading to inattentive driving, or, simply, "bad luck."

The most recent death was of 43-year-old Bryan Jackson of Indianapolis who lost his life in a bike accident near Lake Monroe, and the same say, 31-year-old Jesse Gerst of Lafayette was thrown from his bike and killed in Morgan County.

Scroll down to see further details of the "bad luck" the area's been having on the road.

Thursday, 7/24/2008 - Bloomington: Bryan Jackson, 43, Indianapolis, died when the rear wheel of his motorcycle locked up inexplicably throwing him from the bike. Pronounced dead at the scene.
Thursday, 7/24/2008 - Mooresville: Jesse Gerst, 19, Lafayette, died when he clipped the side of an oncoming sedan, throwing him from the bike and injuring two others. Gerst was pronounced dead on the scene.
Wednesday, 7/23/2008 - Seymour: Amanda Stahl, 16, Seymour, died when she lost control of her car, leaving the county highway at a high rate of speed and running through a small tree before hitting a larger one driver's-door-first. Stahl died of her injuries at University of Louisville Hospital.
Wednesday, 7/23/2008 - Patricksburg: Alexander Fulk, 20, Center Point died when he lost control of his Triumph motorcycle on a patch of gravel in Owen County and slid into an oncoming car. Fulk was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tuesday, 7/22/2008 - Avoca: Myra Arnold, 59, Lake Wales, FL, died when her small pickup was struck by an empty tractor trailer that allegedly blew the light at the IN-37/IN-54 intersection. Her granddaughter and passenger, 13-year-old Alexis Krebbs, remains hospitalized at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Arnold was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thursday, 7/17/2008 - Martinsville: Patrick Gosnell, 48, Indianapolis died when his Harley-Davidson collided with a Jeep on IN-37 in Martinsville. Gosnell died from his injuries at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
Thursday, 7/17/2008 - Bloomington: Carl Deckard, 19, Spencer, died when his car ran off a county road, hit a power pole, and caught fire. Four other passengers were also injured in the accident. Deckard was pronounced dead on the scene.
Sunday, 7/13/2008 - Nashville: Travis Beckman, 33, Indianapolis died on a curve north of Nashville after missing it and being thrown from his motorcycle. Just the day before, two more people from Indianapolis on a bike were injured on the same curve. Beckman was pronounced dead on the scene.
Additionally this month, 1 has died on I-65 in Sellersburg, two more on I-64 in Spencer County, and one this past weekend on 8th Street in New Albany.

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