THORNTOWN, Ind. (AP) — Two crashes involving semitrailers left a trucker
dead and snarled traffic approaching Indianapolis on Interstate 65 for
several hours.
A southbound semi’s cab caught fire after it ran into the back of another
about 6 a.m. Thursday in an area where vehicles had slowed down because
another semitrailer had flipped onto its side about a mile ahead.
Boone County Sheriff Ken Campbell tells WRTV that the driver was trapped
inside the cab and died from the crash near the I-65 exit for Thorntown
about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis. Traffic backed up at times for
more than 10 miles.
The northbound lanes of I-65 were also closed for several hours near Demotte
in northwestern Indiana after a semi ran into one that was parked on the
shoulder early Thursday.
In northwest Indiana, state police say I-65’s northbound lanes near Demotte
were closed for more than six hours after a semi ran into one parked on the
shoulder early Thursday.
Indiana State Police Trooper Brian Rubesha responded to the crash where
preliminary investigation revealed that a 2011 Freightliner, owned by
Covenant Transportation out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was northbound in the
right lane when for unknown reasons the semi left the roadway and crossed
over the outer shoulder fog line.
A second 1994 semi Freightliner, owned by Superior Transit and Fast Hauling
Incorporated out of Saint Louis, Missouri, was parked abandoned on the outer
shoulder at that location. The 1994 Freightliner had no hazard lights on or
safety triangles out when it was hit by the 2011 Freightliner.
The 2011 Freightliner, driven by Steven C. Scholl, 39 of Chapin, South
Carolina, after hitting the 1994 Freightliner went down into the sloped
grass ditch into the dense trees and brush.
Fire then erupted and Scholl was able to exit just prior to it semi becoming
fully engulfed.
Scholl’s semi was loaded with empty bottles.
Both the tractor and trailer sustained heavy damage.
Scholl was taken to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Crown Point for third degree
burns to his lower legs.
The 1994 Freightliner had major damage to the tractor and trailer after
being sideswiped.
