INDIANAPOLIS- In the past 18 hours, Indiana State Troopers have responded to over 130 crashes and 27 motorist assist calls (stuck or disabled) in the Indianapolis area, most of those between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Friday. The snow started falling in central Indiana around 3:00 p.m. yesterday and area interstates quickly became hazardous. Of 130 crashes, 13 had injuries reported, and one crash resulted in a fatality. Statewide, troopers responded to 363 crashes and 190 motorist assist calls.
Just after 11:00 p.m., January 16, 2024, Indiana State Police Dispatchers received a call about a serious crash on I-65 northbound near the 106-mile marker. The Indianapolis Fire Department was the first emergency responders on the scene and found a person unresponsive. Despite life-saving efforts, the person was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed the deceased person was a passenger in a vehicle that struck a guardrail and overturned, ejecting the passenger and causing fatal injuries. The driver was treated for minor injuries. There were no other vehicles involved in this crash. Per Indiana State Law, the driver of the vehicle was given a blood draw to test for drugs or alcohol. The results of that test are pending. Investigators believe speeding too fast for the road conditions contributed to this crash.
In another incident, two Indiana State Police cars were struck while troopers were investigating a crash on I-70 eastbound near the 84-mile marker. The troopers were not injured; however, multiple vehicles were collected in the wreckage. One of the drivers involved was transported by ambulance to a local hospital by ambulance for minor injuries. The ISP vehicles sustained substantial damage and were towed to the Indiana State Police Post.
Both the fatal crash and the crash involving the ISP vehicles remain under investigation, and there is no further information to release at this time. I identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time to allow time for family notifications.
