An early morning collision on US 31 in Hamilton County resulted in a fatality and a major road closure. The incident, which involved a semi-truck, an SUV, and a deer, took place near 256th Street, just north of Westfield. FOX59 reported that the crash occurred southbound on US 31, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation's alert.
Both southbound lanes and one of the northbound lanes were shut down to allow emergency services to manage the aftermath, as reported by WTHR. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office relayed that the SUV was traveling southbound when a deer entered the roadway, leading to the initial collision. The vehicle then stopped, disabled in the road, and was subsequently struck by a semi-truck. This was followed by an extensive cleanup and an investigation which created a "large debris field," causing significant traffic disruptions.
Sgt. Bryan Melton from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office spoke to the severity of the collision and the resulting road closure. He stated, "The preliminary investigation showed an SUV was heading south on US 31 when a deer jumped into the vehicle’s path." This account was relayed in a statement obtained by FOX59. Following the incident, southbound traffic was rerouted to State Road 28, according to an INDOT alert, indicating that drivers needed to prepare for alternate routes throughout the morning.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office projected that road closures would last several hours to accommodate the necessary procedures. "The closure will remain in place for several hours while crews handle reconstruction and cleanup," they disclosed to WIBC.
