(JACKSON CO.) – A South Bend man was killed in an accident on Tuesday, December 29, 2020 on I-65 in Jackson County.
According to an Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction Team report, a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, being driven by 62-year-old William A. Dudek, of South Bend, was traveling northbound on I-65 near the 44-mile marker in southern Jackson County.
For an unknown reason, Dudek’s vehicle drove off the right side of the roadway. The vehicle then struck a guardrail and became airborne. The vehicle crossed all northbound lanes of I-65 and came to rest in the median.
Witnesses extinguished the fire that started when his vehicle came to a stop.
Dudek was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Schneck Medical Center where he succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.
The northbound lanes of I-65 were closed for nearly two hours for crash investigation and cleanup.
The crash remains under investigation.
During the investigation, traffic was diverted off I-65 onto State Road 250 to US 31 at Uniontown. A separate, unrelated property damage crash occurred on I-65 Southbound nearby that backed up southbound traffic for nearly an hour.
Trooper Andrew Garrett was assisted by other members of the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Excise Police, Jackson County EMS, Seymour Fire Department, Vernon Township Fire Department, and the Jackson County Coroner’s Office.
