CASS CO. – Thursday at approximately 8:15 a.m., officers from the Indiana State Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vehicle-pedestrian crash on U.S 35 near Cass County Road 500 South, which injured a highway worker.
The preliminary crash investigation by Indiana State Police revealed that 83-year-old James Paullus, of Logansport, was driving a 2005 GMC pickup truck south on U.S. 35 near County Road 500 South. At the same time, 38-year-old Yigermal Getachew, of Indianapolis, was driving a 2018 Nissan Sentra following the GMC pickup truck. Both vehicles drove upon a highway work zone.
Paullus stopped for Charles Davis, a highway crew member holding a stop sign to control traffic for a work crew milling the road. Getachew failed to stop behind the GMC truck and swerved west, hitting the rear of the GMC with a glancing blow. The Nissan continued onto the shoulder where it struck Davis the highway crew member.
Davis was flown from the scene, via Lutheran Medical Helicopter, to a Fort Wayne hospital. He suffered several broken bones. Neither Paullus nor Getachew was injured.
This is an ongoing investigation. Investigators say neither the use of alcohol nor narcotics is suspected of being a contributing factor in the crash.
Davis works for the Reith Riley Company.
Master Trooper Ezariah Bricknell was assisted at the crash scene by Trooper Dustin Rutledge, Master Trooper Chris Miller, ISP Sergeant Brian Dormer, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, the New Waverly Fire Department, and Cass County EMS.
