An investigation has been launched following a three-vehicle collision that proved fatal on State Road 39 in Boone County, as per a social media post by the Boone County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Tony Harris revealed the details of the incident which occurred earlier today, where deputies, alongside other emergency personnel, were dispatched to the location after a report was made to the Boone County Communications Center at about 10:25 a.m.
The accident, involving a 2012 tan GMC Terrain, a concrete truck, and a 2021 RAM passenger van, resulted in two fatalities and several injuries. The deceased have been identified as the driver of the GMC Terrain, Jose Chavez, 64, and the front passenger, Norma Perez, 59, both residents of Frankfort, IN. In the aftermath of the crash, Yaraliz Mercado, a 25-year-old rear passenger from the Terrain, and Brice Stingley, the 62-year-old driver of the RAM van, were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The concrete truck’s driver, Russel Hampton, 62, of Kempton, IN, sustained minor injuries and was also transported to the hospital.
Details regarding the cause of the collision are still emerging, but due to the grave nature of the accident, the Sheriff's Office FACT (Fatal Alcohol Crash Team) has been called in to provide assistance with the investigation. The exact factors that contributed to the incident remain unclear, with the Boone County Sheriff's Office withholding further information pending the ongoing investigation.
"The circumstances of the crash are under investigation," according to the statement from Sheriff Tony Harris referenced in the Boone County Sheriff's Office Facebook post. Local residents and motorists who frequent State Road 39 can expect intermittent road closures and delays as the Sheriff's Office continues their examination at the scene, and are advised to seek alternate routes if possible.
