A Cadiz Police Department officer was seriously injured during an on-duty vehicular accident. As reported by FOX59, Officer Douglas Barker Jr. encountered the devastating event yesterday morning when a 2019 Toyota Rav 4 struck the rear of his parked police vehicle.
Indiana State Police have said that the collision occurred at approximately 6:50 a.m. at the intersection of State Road 38 and Mechanicsburg Road. Standing outside his vehicle for reasons that remain undisclosed, the officer found himself in the path of the SUV, driven by Amanda Bailey, 44, of New Castle, Indiana, as reported by WISH-TV. Barker suffered serious injuries and required airlifting to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was declared stable.
According to details from The Star Press, Bailey was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. In the wake of the crash, State Road 38 had to be closed for about four hours, complicating morning traffic as investigators worked and debris was cleared from the roadway.
The investigation, spearheaded by the ISP crash reconstruction team, is ongoing, with Henry County sheriff's deputies, Henry County and Middletown EMS, Cadiz police, and local fire departments providing assistance at the scene. While Barker's situation was serious, it is reassuring that the injuries sustained by both parties in the crash were not fatal.
