A Scipio man died and a woman from the same town suffered life-threatening injuries in a two-vehicle crash in Jennings County.
Justin T. Spears, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on State Road 7 on Friday, and Kaitlyn M. Lord, 18, was flown to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana State Police public information officer Stephen Wheeles said in a news release.
Lord is listed in critical condition, St. Vincent spokeswoman Tangela Floyd said Saturday afternoon.
The Indiana State Police and Jennings County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of an accident shortly after 8 a.m.
The initial investigation by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team indicated that a white 2010 Kia SUV being driven by Spears was traveling southbound on County Road 700W at State Road 7. Spears vehicle entered State Road 7 into the path of a northbound 2000 Mack dump truck being driven by Levi G. Horton, 24, of Seymour. Horton attempted to take evasive action but was unable to avoid Spears’ vehicle. Horton’s vehicle collided with the driver side of Spears’ vehicle, Wheeles said.
Spears sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Jennings County Coroner’s Office, Wheeles said.
Lord, a passenger in Spears’ vehicle, was flown from the scene to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment. Horton was not injured in the collision, Wheeles said.
Neither the relationship between Spears and Lord nor the types of injuries she suffered were immediately available from the state police.
State Road 7 was closed for nearly three hours for crash investigation and cleanup. The crash remains under investigation and toxicology results are pending, Wheeles said.
The Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Investigation Team was assisted by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, Scipio-Geneva Fire Department, Jennings County EMS, the Jennings County Coroner’s Office, 31 Wrecker Service and Clark’s Wrecker Service.
