A tragic collision on the east side of Indianapolis claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman and injured two men yesterday afternoon, per reports from local authorities. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) responded to the incident, which occurred at the intersection of East 30th Street and North Post Road around 4:45 p.m., as indicated in statements obtained by FOX59 and WTHR. Upon arrival, officers discovered two black sedans had been involved in a serious crash, inside one of the vehicles was a woman and a man with the other car being driven by another man.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Tonya Lynette Shelton; accompanying her in the vehicle, an adult male was critically injured, both were transported from the scene to a hospital where the woman was pronounced dead, according to details released by IMPD. The driver of the second vehicle was admitted to a hospital and is reportedly in stable condition, this all happening when one vehicle was making a turn and collided with the other, the specifics of the turning maneuvers vary slightly but the consensus remains that one car was turning onto East 30th Street when it was struck by the other travelling down North Post Road, as WISH-TV corroborated. IMPD has not disclosed additional details about what precisely led to crash.
The intersection where the crash took place was shut down for several hours following the accident as IMPD conducted their investigation; it has since been reopened, reports from WTHR indicated. IMPD is considering the possibility of alcohol or drugs being factors in the crash, as chemical testing will be performed on the individuals involved, a detail highlighted by FOX59.
In a media briefing post-crash, IMPD Public Information Officer Drew Brown underscored the imperative of mindful driving, stating, "Year-round, especially when there’s warmer temperatures and people are out of school, you’re going to see a lot more cars on the roadway, Please be mindful of speed, please be mindful of anytime you pass through an intersection to clear your intersection fully," he said, stressing that the exact cause of the crash remains uncertain, however, driving safely should be an intrinsic responsibility irrespective of the time, the place, or the destination, as articulated in the quote from FOX59.
