Four seriously injured by hit-and-run driver near Greene-Sullivan State Forest

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

LINTON -- Multiple AirEvac helicopters were scrambled to Greene County General Hospital early Tuesday morning as police sought a reported hit-and-run driver who struck a crowd of pedestrians and seriously injured four near the Greene-Sullivan State Forest.

According to police, the driver was last seen near the Greene-Sullivan State Forest. The accident occurred shortly before midnight.

Details were only emerging shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, with the names of the victims and the still-sought suspect not yet released by police.

"They haven't told me much of anything," said Greene County Sheriff's Department Dispatcher Sara Turner.

Just after 1 a.m., what was reported as an expected four AirEvac helicopters were landing at Greene County General Hospital where members of the Linton Fire Department and other emergency medical technicians were readying to airlift what was reported as four injured patients.

"I'm not sure on the count of the injured," said Charles Misner, a security guard at Greene County General Hospital, as he patrolled the parking lot which had been cleared for one of the three incoming choppers at 1:30 a.m.

It was believed a total of six helicopters were going to land for the victims.

Ultimately, however, only four helicopters landed. Turner said initial reports suggested only four victims, three children and one an adult.

Their gender, names, and ages were not immediately available at press time.

However, three of those treated were reportedly children bound for Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, while a fourth was an adult.

"Four injured, to my knowledge, yes," Turner said. "I've not been given any information. I believe there was only four helicopters coming in."

Standing across the road from the hospital, Linton's Jordan Gibbs scrolled through his phone worriedly, attempting to contact friends he'd heard might have been involved and getting no answer.

"We heard it was friends of ours from Dugger," he explained. "We came out here to find out what we could. Nobody's picking up. It just goes to voicemail."

Greene County Paramedic Supervisor Scott Fleck confirmed only four were airlifted, but stated he was limited on comment because of HIPPA privacy laws.

The vehicle, believed to be a older model GMC S-10 blue or black truck with a camper shell and front end damage, was being sought by multiple Greene, Clay and Sullivan law enforcement agencies across the tri-county area.

The truck was believed to have struck a guard rail, resulting in damage on the truck's left side. The truck was reported to be missing an entire front headlight on the same side, and to have square headlight casings.

No plate description nor description of the driver was immediately available, police said.

Upon fleeing, the truck is believed to have drug a substantial amount of debris behind it, per police.

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