Police report directly from the scene of a crash that closed both lanes on I-69 in Huntington County says that a semi-truck driver struck a bridge support in the median and died on the spot.
The crash happened at 7:45 AM on August 20, Thursday, northbound on I-69, when a northbound semi struck a bridge support in the median.
Official police statement confirms that the driver of the semi-truck died from the crash. Another person, a woman, who reportedly was sleeping in the truck’s berth, was ejected from the cab and suffered critical injuries. She has been transported in critical condition to a hospital with a helicopter.
The semi burst into flame immediately after the crash. Police say that no other vehicles were involved in the crash.
Police suspect that the crash was a result of the trucker falling asleep. It is believed that the truck was headed northbound, but following the crash, it ended up in the southbound lanes.
Images from the scene show the truck suffered massive damage, with the cab being completely destroyed.
I-69 has been closed in both directions for clean-up and investigation. The bridge of which the support was hit by the truck, Road 5 bridge, is also closed for safety inspections.
Police urge drives commuting in this area to apply extreme caution, and if possible, to avoid the area altogether.
