SEYMOUR — A holiday weekend road trip turned tragic on Saturday evening when a violent four-vehicle collision on Interstate 65 left a 12-year-old boy dead and five other people hospitalized.
The incident, which involved a mix of passenger cars, a semi-truck, and a camper, completely paralyzed traffic just north of Seymour for hours.
According to emergency dispatch logs from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, first responders were called to the scene on southbound I-65 near the 51-mile marker at approximately 5:21 p.m.
The brunt of the collision was borne by a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. A 12-year-old boy from New Albany, who was riding as a passenger in the back seat, sustained fatal injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Jackson County Deputy Coroner Todd Brumfield.
The remaining three occupants of the Impala suffered severe injuries. Emergency personnel identified the driver as Cortez Verner, 46, of Louisville, Kentucky. Verner and his two passengers, Shanelle Bethel, 47, of Louisville, and Keri Bethel, 37, of New Albany, were treated at the scene before multiple air ambulance services arrived.
Because of the critical nature of their injuries, all three surviving occupants were airlifted from the interstate to regional trauma centers.
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) initially reported that the crash took place on the northbound side of the interstate. Officials later clarified that the wreckage was entirely within the southbound lanes. The northbound lanes had to be temporarily shut down to provide a safe landing zone for incoming medical helicopters.
While the Impala was devastated by the impact, the remaining vehicles involved in the chain-reaction crash fared better.
A 2012 Mini Cooper, driven by Ethyn Luther, 16, of Sellersburg. Luther and his passenger, Shannon Luther, 50, were transported by ground ambulance to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour. Both were treated for minor injuries and later released.
A 2023 International Tractor-Trailer, driven by Thomas Long, 67, of Cleveland, Tennessee. Long reported no injuries at the scene.
A 2021 Dodge pickup truck, towing a Jayco fifth-wheel camper, was driven by Julie Felix Patrick, 52, of Melbourne, Florida. Patrick escaped the collision without injury.
A massive contingent of local agencies rushed to assist, including the Seymour Police Department, Indiana State Police, and multiple regional volunteer fire departments from Redding, Vernon, and Hamilton townships.
INDOT highway cameras captured sweeping gridlock stretching miles back into Jackson County as investigators cataloged debris.
All lanes of I-65 were ultimately cleared and reopened to regular traffic at approximately 8:43 p.m., more than three hours after the initial collision.
The precise cause of the pileup remains unclear. Crash reconstructionists from the Indiana State Police have assumed the lead on the investigation, analyzing physical evidence and vehicle telematics to establish a definitive timeline of how the crash occurred.
