Staff Reports
JACKSON COUNTY — Indiana State Police arrested a semi driver after a single vehicle crash which blocked the northbound lanes of I-65 in Jackson County for hours.
Troopers were sent to I-65 at 4:30 a.m. Monday after a semi driven by James M. Murphy, 56, Kentucky, ran off the road and overturned in the northbound lanes. Murphy was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, said Sgt. Stephen Wheeles, Indiana State Police spokesman.
The northbound lanes of I-65 remained closed for approximately eight hours for crash investigation and cleanup.
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The initial investigation by Trooper James Herbert indicated Murphy’s 2009 Volvo semi pulling an enclosed trailer was traveling northbound on I-65 near the 51.5 mile marker, just north of Seymour. The vehicle left the east side of the roadway before striking a guardrail and overturning off the east side of I-65.
During the initial investigation, Herbert observed that Murphy had been drinking alcohol and he showed signs of being intoxicated, Wheeles said. A roadside preliminary breath test indicated Murphy had a .26% BAC. Murphy was transported to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, where a search warrant was served to obtain a blood sample from him. The toxicology results are pending.
Murphy was arrested and transported to the Jackson County Jail on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of 15% or greater, Wheeles said.
Murphy was also cited for an open container violation and disregarding a traffic control device, Wheeles said. Neither Murphy nor an adult female passenger in the vehicle were injured in the crash.
All I-65 northbound traffic was diverted onto U.S. 50 and then to U.S. 31 north from Seymour during the interstate closure.
The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Seymour Police Department, Redding Township Fire Department, and 31 Wrecker Service.
