A 17-year-old boy was found dead Saturday evening after what investigators believe was a shooting followed by a single-vehicle crash on a rural stretch of South Big Springs Road in Washington County, about nine miles south of Salem.
Emergency crews were sent to the 8000 block of South Big Springs Road around 7:30 p.m. after an automated crash alert flagged the wreck to first responders, according to WAVE. The Washington County Sheriff's Department and local first responders arrived and pronounced one person dead at the scene, then called in the Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post as the circumstances began to point to a shooting tied to the crash.
Responding agencies later identified the victim as 17-year-old Hunter Blaine Rowley of Pekin, who was found dead inside the vehicle, WAVE reported. Officials told the outlet there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public while investigators work the scene.
State Police Take Lead in Rural Road Investigation
Indiana State Police detectives from the Sellersburg Post took over the case and began processing the crash site for evidence, according to initial reports. Investigators are working to piece together what led up to both the reported shooting and the subsequent crash, and the probe is still in its early stages, WRTV noted.
Recent Teen Shootings Rattle Salem Area
This latest death comes in a year that has already seen deadly gun violence involving local teenagers. In April, a 14-year-old was charged after the fatal shooting of another 14-year-old in Salem, according to WLKI, which reported that Indiana State Police also responded in that earlier case.
The Washington County investigation remains active, and detectives have not released any details about a possible motive or whether other people may have been involved. Officials are asking anyone with information to contact local law enforcement and say more details will be released as the case develops.
