DECATUR — A Thursday morning collision between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle in Decatur has left an Ohio man with critical injuries and triggered a multi-agency state police investigation.
According to the Indiana State Police, the crash occurred just before 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at the intersection of U.S. 27 (N. 13th Street) and Winchester Road.
Investigators report that a 2012 Mini Cooper, traveling northbound on U.S. 27 as it approached Winchester Road, had slowed to a stop in the right lane. At the time, emergency vehicles with active red and blue lights were stationed on Winchester Road just west of U.S. 27 to slow southbound traffic.
While the Mini Cooper was stopped in the lane, a northbound 2024 Peterbilt tractor pulling a semi-trailer failed to stop, crashing directly into the back of the car.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, identified as 49-year-old Jason Ward of Ohio City, Ohio, sustained critical injuries in the collision. He was transported from the scene to a local hospital for emergency medical care. The driver of the semi, 30-year-old Jacob Keiffer of Hartford City, Indiana, reported no injuries.
The crash remains under active investigation by the Indiana State Police Area II Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT) and the ISP Commercial Motor Vehicle Division to determine the exact contributing factors.
A coordinated emergency response team assisted at the scene, including the Decatur Police Department, Decatur Fire Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, and Adams County EMS.
