A 27-year-old Danville man, identified as Nathan Merritt, died tragically last night after his pickup truck struck a downed power line during severe storms in the area, as reported by WTHR. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Country Road 75 West, just north of Country Road 200 South. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered several downed power lines and a blue Dodge pickup truck engulfed in flames.
Due to the live wires, Hendricks County sheriff's deputies found themselves unable to immediately approach the area. Moving through the chaos wrought by the storm, Nathan Merritt made a fateful decision to exit his vehicle after the collision. According to a release obtained by FOX59, power had to be shut off by the power company before rescue personnel could safely reach Merritt, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The precise circumstances leading up to Merritt’s death are currently under investigation, but initial reports from IndyStar indicate that he was driving north when his vehicle made contact with the live power lines. After the harrowing crash, Merritt exited the pickup and was fatally injured by touching the live wires.
While Merritt's death is the only fatality reported in connection with the severe weather that hit Wednesday, the storm's impact was still felt across Danville and surrounding areas.
