LOWELL- On Saturday, May 17th, Troopers responded to a single vehicle crash on northbound I-65 at the 238.8 mile-marker. Investigation by Trooper Kurtis Jones shows that an intermodal semi operated by UPS was traveling northbound after exiting the construction zone lane restriction.
It was reported that the semi experienced a sudden tire failure on one of the steer tires, causing him to lose control of the truck. The truck and trailer overturned, blocking the entire roadway, and caught fire. The driver was able to escape the flames but was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
As a result of the crash, traffic backed into the construction zone for several hours while emergency crews worked to put out the fire and remove the crash debris to make the scene passable. Once that process was completed, traffic was cleared, and all northbound traffic was diverted at exit 230, the Demotte/Roselawn exit.
Due to the intense nature of the fire, the asphalt was damaged and deemed unfit for traffic. INDOT contacted Rieth-Riley to repair the roadway, removing the damaged asphalt and replacing it with new. The roadway was reopened at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Several fire departments, including Lowell/Tri Creek, Crown Pt, Shelby, Hebron, and Keener Twp, assisted at the scene. Cheever’s Towing towed the truck.
