An early morning crash on U.S. 421 in Decatur County has taken the life of an Indianapolis man, authorities reported yesterday. The incident involved 47-year-old Joseph L. Arthur driving a 2010 Pontiac southbound when for reasons yet undetermined, he lost control and veered into the opposing lane, directly into the path of a semi-truck, as WRTV reports.
Indiana State Police identified the driver of the Freightliner semi as Michael S. Olsen, 55, from Michigan, who sustained minor injuries after his vehicle caught on fire from the collision while Arthur succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, speed might have been a contributing factor although the crash remains under investigation, cleanup and investigative work resulted in a closure of the highway in both directions for around five hours, according to WTHR.
The tragic event unfolded just before 7 a.m. yesterday, near County Road 700 East, a rural location northwest of the Decatur-Ripley county line, as stated by Indiana State Police in a news release, the area around the crash site is sparsely populated and is approximately a 15-minute drive southeast of Greensburg, as indicated in the release obtained by WISH-TV.
State police said crash reconstructionists were still working on the scene as of yesterday night, delving into the cause of the crash and confirming that Arthur operated a "passenger vehicle" when the accident occurred, Olsen managed to escape from his burning semi, meanwhile the investigation into the exact cause continues with speed being a potential factor state police not ruled out other contributing variables, according to WISH-TV.
