LAGRANGE CO. – Wednesday afternoon at approximately 1:15 p.m. troopers from the Toll Road and Fort Wayne Post(s) responded to a two-vehicle crash on the I-80/90 Toll Road, in which a Fremont woman was seriously injured.
The first arriving officers on the scene found a GMC Acadia passenger vehicle crashed into the rear of the 2018 Freightliner semi-tractor/trailer in the eastbound lanes. The driver (sole occupant) of the GMC Acadia, later identified as Whitney Welling, 35, of Fremont, IN, was trapped in the wreckage and seriously injured. Trooper Woodcox (Toll Road Post) observed that Welling had severe bleeding from an arm injury. He was able to get a tourniquet properly applied and controlled the bleeding prior to her extrication.
At approximately 2:00 p..m., rescue personnel from the Orland & Fremont Fire Department brought in the jaws of life to cut apart the Acadia and extricated Welling from the wreckage. She was medically tended to by Parkview EMS medics on scene prior to being loaded onto a Samaritan helicopter and then flown to PRMC in Fort Wayne in serious condition. At the time of this release her medical condition was unknown.
Trooper Woodcox’s preliminary crash investigation revealed that prior to the crash there was tire debris in the left lane of eastbound I-80/90, which was causing traffic to take evasive action and slowdown. The involved 2018 Freightliner semi, driven by Alla P. Draxler, 59, of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was traveling in the right lane when traffic at the 132.5mm came to a standstill. The Freightliner was stopped in standing traffic when the GMC Acadia failed to slow/stop and collided with the rear of the semi-trailer. There was no evidence of braking (tire marks) from the Acadia.
Welling was properly restrained in the Acadia and there was airbag deployment. Draxler was not injured during the crash.
The crash scene was cleared up and traffic was opened back up at 3:00 p.m.
There is an active investigation. There is no further information to release at this time.
Trooper Woodcox was assisted at the scene by troopers from the Toll Road & Fort Wayne Post(s), Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Orland Fire, Fremont Fire, Steuben EMS, Parkview EMS Samaritan, and Bill’s Professional Towing.
