MITCHELL – On Saturday, August 24th, around 5:30 p.m., the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a single-vehicle accident in the 1200 block of VFW Road.
Sgt. Robin Compton and Deputy Andrew Tillett responded to the scene to investigate.
Their findings revealed that a 2002 Ford F250, driven by 39-year-old Steven Tillett of Orleans, was traveling north on VFW Road at a high speed. The vehicle crested a hill and veered off the road to the right (east). It re-entered the roadway but began to skid northwest due to an over-correction, rotating counterclockwise for about 121 feet before leaving the road again on the left (west) side. The truck slid sideways in a field, rolled onto its top, and righted itself before coming to a stop facing west. During the rollover, Tillett was ejected from the vehicle.
Tragically, Tillett did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other occupants in the truck.
Witnesses estimated the crash occurred between 2:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., but it wasn’t reported until around 5:30 p.m. as passersby initially thought no one was in or around the vehicle.
Toxicology results are pending as part of the investigation into the fatal crash in accordance with state statutes. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by IU Health EMS and Bland’s Wrecker Service.
