Crash injures three, one critically, on Interstate 70

Thursday, October 11, 2007
Semi-tractor trailer and frozen pizzas spilled on the side of Interstate 70 Wednesday morning.

Three people were injured in a late Tuesday crash on Interstate 70 after a car crossed the median and hit a semi-tractor trailer, causing the truck to burst open and spill its load of frozen food.

The passenger in the car, Alan Peters, 24, of Terre Haute, was critically injured and remained so Wednesday evening, according to Reelsville Fire Chief John McPherson.

Indiana State Police at Putnamville report that Peters was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

The driver of the car was Brittney King, 19, Terre Haute. McPherson said Peters was not restrained.

King was taken to Putnam County Hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries and was released. The driver of the semi, 46-year-old Moudassar Iqubel, Bakersfield, Calif., was treated at St. Vincent Clay Hospital, Brazil, and released.

State Trooper Charlie Boller reported that the crashed occurred at the 30-mile marker at 10:57 p.m. His investigation revealed that King was driving east in a 1989 Plymouth when she swerved to miss a small animal. She lost control of the car, which crossed the median and struck the left drive tires of the 2001 Freightliner driven by Iqubel.

The car went back into the median, flipped several times, and came to rest on its wheels in the median. The semi went off the north side of the road and came to rest in the ditch. The trailer split open and spilled its load of frozen pizzas. The semi cab separated from the chassis and overturned. Iqubel was able to escape the wreckage. Reelsville and Cloverdale Township Volunteer Firefighters responded to the scene to contain a diesel fuel leak from the overturned semi. The clean-up was handled by Goode Excavating Emergency Response.

The interstate was closed to allow LifeLine helicopter to land. One lane of I-70 was closed until 8:50 a.m. Wednesday to allow allow workers to off load the spilled contents of the trailer onto another trailer.

Assisting Boller and Trooper Chris Harcourt at the scene were Operation Life ambulance personnel, Putnam County Sheriff's Department and the state highway department. McPherson said his units were back on station at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

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  • "King was driving east in a 1989 Plymouth when she swerved to miss a small animal. She lost control of the car"

    This is why you don't swerve, a dog or smaller, bump.. bump...I will try to avoid hitting an animal, but I won't endanger other drivers on the road and most of the time no real damage has occured when the sad incident has passed. I do say a prayer for the poor animal and ask for forgivness for what just happened, not a thing I like to do though.

    -- Posted by Afghan Contractor on Fri, Oct 12, 2007, at 11:53 PM
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