A Saturday morning collision on a Shelby County overpass killed a Fairland motorcyclist and left investigators reconstructing how a westbound Harley-Davidson ended up against a turning semi-trailer. The rider, a 43-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. His name remains pending notification of family by the Shelby County Coroner’s Office.
According to WISH-TV, the crash happened around 4:25 a.m. Saturday at 400 N. and the I-74 overpass. A preliminary investigation indicates the 2019 Harley was traveling west on 400 N. and ran a red light before striking the trailer of a 2024 Freightliner.
The semi was driven by 26-year-old Arif Ozer of Primos, Pennsylvania, who was exiting eastbound I-74 and turning east through a green light, the preliminary findings indicate. WRTV reports that the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Shelbyville Fire Department, Shelbyville Police Department and Fairland Fire Department responded.
Crash Reconstruction Is Still Underway
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department says its Fatal Accident Crash Team investigates serious and fatal wrecks across the county. The department has not released additional details about the collision, and the investigation remains ongoing, according to the initial reporting.
The latest available state crash data shows how quickly motorcycle wrecks can turn deadly locally. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute counted 38 motorcyclists involved in Shelby County collisions in 2024, including four fatalities; those figures predate Saturday’s crash and do not establish what caused it.
