PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. —The Indiana State Police are investigating a crash between a pickup truck and a semi tractor-trailer near the 35 mile marker on Interstate 70 westbound on Friday, June 28, that claimed the life of one individual.
Preliminary investigation by Sgt. Matt Ames indicated that traffic was slow/stopped in the area due to an earlier accident on I-70 at the 30 mile marker westbound. At about10:30 a.m., a 2023 Freightliner semi tractor-trailer driven by Bhagwant Singh, 49, of Indianapolis was traveling westbound on I-70 in the passing lane near the 35 mile marker. The hazard lights of the semi were activated because of slow/stopped traffic. Singh was stopped when, he says, he felt an impact in the rear of his semi.
A 2016 Nissan pickup truck that was traveling westbound in the passing lane behind the semi failed to slow or stop for the traffic and ran into the rear of Singh’s tractor-trailer. The driver of the pickup truck, Norma Rivera, 54, of New Castle, Del., succumbed to injuries at the scene of the accident and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Putnam County Coroner’s Office. Two passengers in the pickup truck, an adult male and a child, were transported via air ambulance to local hospitals in Indianapolis with non-life-threatening injuries.
Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a contributing factor of the accident.
Assisting agencies in the investigation include the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, Putnam County Emergency Medical Service, Cloverdale Fire Department, Putnam County Coroner’s Office and Curtis Wrecker Service.
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