Jasper County-- At approximately 2:50 p.m on Oct. 30, Master Trooper Fred Trammel was dispatched to a single vehicle crash at the 224 mile marker. This location is approximately 9 miles north of Rensselaer. Upon arrival at the scene Troopers discovered the vehicle (a 1999 Ford Taurus driven by Richard S. Olive age 29, from Indianapolis) had been traveling north bound and according to witnesses the vehicle began fishtailing for unknown reasons. The vehicle then drove off the right shoulder and the driver overcorrected back onto the roadway. The vehicle then went off the right side of the roadway a 2nd time where it began to overturn. The vehicle rolled approximately 4 times ejecting one of the passengers.
The ejected passenger was seen running back to the vehicle by the witnesses. When asked by Troopers at the scene, she was not aware that she had been ejected. Two passengers were flown from the scene for treatment of unknown internal injuries. All other occupants were transported to Riverside Hospital in Kankakee, IL for treatment. The roadway was closed for approximately 1 hour. During this time there were two secondary crashes in the backup.
Assisting the Indiana State Police was the Keener Twp. Fire Dept., Prompt Ambulance, PHI LifeFlight, UCAN LifeFlight, Jasper County Sheriff's Department and the Rensselaer Fire Department as well as several good samaritans that stopped to help.
The Indiana State Police reminds driver and occupants that seatbelts save lives and that you have a greater chance of reducing injuries by buckling up and being secure inside of the vehicle. Also secondary (backup) crashes are a direct result of vehicles following too closely as well as driver inattention.
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M/Trp. Glen Fifield
Indiana State Police
District #13
