A 66-year-old LaPorte man died Monday after the SUV he was driving southbound on Interstate 65 near Rensselaer veered into the median at a high rate of speed, rolled completely over a cable barrier meant to stop exactly this kind of crash, and came to rest upside down in the middle of the northbound lanes. The driver, identified as Charles D. Cox, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a news release from the Indiana State Police Lowell Post, as reported by WIMS AM 1420, troopers responded to the rollover near mile-marker 216 in Jasper County, about a mile north of the Rensselaer exit. Cox was driving a 1998 Ford SUV that was towing a boat and trailer when it left the roadway for reasons that remain unknown and entered the median at a high rate of speed. The boat and trailer detached from the SUV during the crash and came to rest on the cable barrier on the northbound side of the highway, while the SUV itself rolled over the barrier entirely and landed on its roof in the northbound travel lanes.
Cable Barriers and the Crash
Cable barriers are designed to help keep vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic. They can flex when struck, but Cox's SUV crossed the barrier; the cause remains unknown.
The posted speed limit for passenger vehicles on this stretch of rural interstate is 70 mph under Indiana Code § 9-21-5-2, which sets a lower 65 mph cap for heavy trucks over 26,000 pounds, per Justia Law. State officials have been paying closer attention to speeds on this exact corridor: in March, the Indiana Department of Transportation expanded its automated Safe Zones enforcement program to include I-65 in Jasper County near Rensselaer, according to a report from WTHR-TV.
Another Rollover at the Same Mile Marker
A separate rollover was also reported at mile marker 216.
Ejection Risk and Seat Belt Use
Rollovers can pose serious risks, especially when occupants are ejected. Seat belts are an important safety measure.
Motor vehicle collisions in Indiana can result in fatalities or property damage. Cox was from LaPorte, Indiana.
Multiple Agencies Responded to the Scene
Emergency crews from several agencies converged on the crash site Monday. The Rensselaer Police Department, the Jasper County Sheriff's Department, the Rensselaer/Marion Township Fire Department, the Jasper County Coroner, and D1 Towing all assisted at the scene. The cause of the initial roadway departure remains unknown.
The crash follows another fatal rollover reported on I-65 in Indiana earlier this month. Hoodline previously covered a separate crash in which an unbelted passenger died after a trailer detached and a van rolled on I-65 in Clinton County.
