Bartholomew County-This morning, at approximately 9:45 a.m., the Indiana State Police responded to a traffic crash with injuries on I-65 southbound near the 57.5 mile marker which resulted in one driver being taken to a Columbus hospital for treatment of his injuries. The crash also caused the southbound lanes of I-65 to be closed for crash investigation and cleanup.
According to the initial investigation by Trooper Jason Duncan, a 2013 Dodge truck pulling a box trailer being driven by Elmer Whilkens, age 89, South Dakota was traveling southbound in the left lane of I-65 near the 57.5 mile marker when the vehicle left the roadway and entered the median. The vehicle then came back on the road and into the path of a 2006 Freightliner pulling a box trailer being driven by Salah Toughzaqui, age 42, Kentucky that was traveling southbound in the right lane of I-65.
The front of the tractor trailer struck the passenger side of the Dodge pickup. The force of the collision caused Whilkens’ trailer to overturn in the middle of the southbound lanes of I-65. Both vehicles came to a stop in the roadway. Whilkens sustained non-life threatening injuries in the crash and was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment. Toughzaqui was checked out on the scene by medical personnel but was not transported for treatment.
Driver fatigue is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash. The roadway was shut down for approximately one and a half hours for crash investigation and cleanup. Traffic remained congested for an additional hour due to vehicles that had become disabled in the roadway while stopped in the traffic backup due to the earlier crash.
Trp. Duncan was assisted by other troopers with the Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Columbus Regional EMS, Jackson County EMS, Wayne Township Fire, and 31 Wrecker Service.
-30- SGT. STEPHEN WHEELES
