Tractor Trailer Rear End Collision Kills Two Family Members Near Indianapolis
January 27th, 2010 | 
Author: EDINBURGH, IN: Two people died after the van they were riding in was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on an Indiana highway early Sunday morning. The truck accident happened on Interstate 65 near Edinburgh in Shelby County, about thirty miles south of Indianapolis. The area is in the central section of the state, 85 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky and 217 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois.
Two family members die after Chevy van was rear ended by tractor trailer on I 65
The tractor trailer accident occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday as a full size 2010 Chevy passenger van was traveling north on I-65, headed for Chicago. The van was carrying 18 members of an extended family, both adults and children. The family group had been attending a kite flying event in Atlanta, Georgia …
At the same time a truck driver, 42 year old Randall L. Chriscoe of Ramseur, North Carolina, was also northbound on I-65, driving a 2007 Freightliner. Some witnesses reported that the blue tractor trailer was speeding and weaving back and forth on the highway prior to the accident.
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At the stretch of highway near mile marker 80, the Chevy passenger van was attempting to pull onto the shoulder of the highway when the 18 wheeler slammed into the rear of the van. The impact pushed the passenger van off the road and caused the smaller vehicle to flip over.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from another motorist, alerting them to the truck accident.
When the officers and the emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found that two of the van passengers had already died from injuries sustained in the truck accident. The victims were identified as 20 year old Vijay Patel of Broadview, IL and 20 year old Sujal Patel of Summit, IL.
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The remaining 16 passengers also suffered a range of injuries in the truck collision. Some victims reportedly only had scratches while others were in much more serious condition. All 16 were treated and stabilized at the scene and then transported to three area hospitals. Authorities later reported that as of Sunday night, three of the family members were at Methodist Hospital listed in critical condition, and some of the others had been treated for serious injuries.
The truck driver was also injured in the tractor trailer collision. He was transported to Johnson County Hospital with minor injuries, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.
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The area of Interstate 65 surrounding the truck accident scene was shut down while officials investigated the collision and crews cleaned up the highway. Drivers were diverted around the truck accident scene until I-65 eventually reopened around 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
The Shelby County Fatal Crash Team was brought in to work on the truck accident reconstruction and investigation. There was some speculation that the truck driver was impaired, possiblly sleepy, at the time of the truck accident based on the witness reports that he was speeding and driving erratically before the collision. The weather may also have been a factor, as well as the highway which some reported has having a large amount of potholes.
Authorities took blood samples from both the truck driver and the driver of the passenger van. The samples were sent to the Indiana State Department of Toxicology.
No charges have been made at this time.
Related searches:
Indianapolis truck accident lawyer
Indiana truck injury attorney
Kentucky truck accident lawyer
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