BEDFORD — A multi-vehicle collision on Saturday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 37 and 29th Street resulted in the death of one man and left a woman in critical condition, according to reports from the Bedford Police Department.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene on July 25th around 3:58 p.m. following reports of a severe traffic accident. Upon arrival, Officer Landon Jones found three vehicles involved: a blue 2022 Kia Forte with heavy rear-end damage positioned in the middle of the intersection, a black 2000 Chevrolet Silverado with heavy front-end damage just south of the left turn lane, and a gray 2021 Honda Accord parked on the west shoulder.
Inside the Kia Forte, officers discovered two occupants. The male passenger, identified as Randy C. Tarr, was unresponsive and bleeding. Emergency medical services pronounced Tarr deceased at the scene, and he was subsequently taken into the care of Lawrence County Coroner Elizabeth Freeman.
The driver of the Kia, Timber R. Tarr, was found unconscious with agonal breathing. Bedford Fire Department personnel extracted her from the vehicle, and IU Health EMS transported her to IU Health Bloomington for treatment of a brain bleed and additional injuries. She remains in critical condition.
The driver of the Honda Accord, Kanitta Sodachan, suffered minor injuries, complaining of neck and chest pain caused by her seat belt. She was evaluated by medical staff. The driver of the Silverado, identified as Carey T. Christie, reported pain and bleeding around his nose area and was taken to IU Health Bedford for treatment.
Driver Statements and Conflicting Reports
According to witness accounts and initial statements, Sodachan’s Honda Accord was stopped at a red light at the intersection when the rear-end collision occurred.
In his initial statement to Major Swanson, Christie stated he was traveling south on State Road 37 and failed to notice stopped traffic ahead due to sun glare. He noted that once he saw the vehicles, he applied his brakes, hitting the rear of the Tarrs’ Kia, which then collided with Sodachan’s Honda. Christie admitted to having consumed one beer at a funeral shortly before the crash. He consented to an Indiana Implied Consent blood draw, and two vials of whole blood were submitted to the Indiana State Department of Toxicology for analysis.
In a follow-up interview on July 26, Christie provided an alternative account, claiming he was in the right lane behind a semi-truck that was spraying water from mist and rain on his windshield. He stated he moved to the left lane to avoid the spray, where his vision remained obstructed until he saw the stopped vehicles and swerved. Officers noted, however, that the weather was dry and it was not raining at the time of the collision.
Ongoing Reconstruction and Investigation
Efforts to scan the Chevrolet Silverado’s “black box” data recorder yielded inconclusive results, and no vehicle speed could be determined from the scan.
Trooper Matt Holley of the Indiana State Police assisted local authorities in marking the scene and conducted a crash reconstruction using drone mapping on July 26. Bland’s Wrecker Service towed all three vehicles, and they are currently placed on hold pending further investigation.
The case remains under active investigation with the Bedford Police Department, pending official toxicology results.
