Reelsville crash victim suffered heart attack before collision

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

REELSVILLE -- The Terre Haute man killed in a Sunday car crash on U.S. 40 died of natural causes before the accident, the Putnam County Coroner said Tuesday.

A Monday autopsy by Dr. Roland Kohr at Terre Haute Regional Hospital revealed that 72-year-old Brent Anderson suffered a heart attack -- specifically, acute coronary artery thrombosis -- while driving his Lincoln Town Car westbound near the entrance to Apple Blossom Subdivision.

Coroner Dave Brown said all injuries Brent Anderson's body suffered in the ensuing crash were post mortem.

Brent Anderson's wife Judy, a former one-term mayor of Terre Haute, suffered multiple injuries, including rib and head injuries.

She was airlifted from the scene to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where she was listed in good condition.

Following Brent Anderson's heart attack, the car left the roadway on the north side in a spot where the road curves slightly to the left, sheriff's deputy Adam Hull reported.

The car hit a large rock used as a sidewalk marker and continued off the road, where it struck a trailer and a parked car.

The vehicle came to rest when it collided head-on with a large tree.

Husband and wife had to be extricated from the vehicle by the Reelsville Fire Department.

Judy Anderson served as mayor of Terre Haute from 2000-2004. She was the first -- and to date, only -- female mayor in the city's history.

Brent Anderson was a retired teacher and coach, spending several decades at Wabash Valley schools, including Clinton/South Vermillion High School and Sarah Scott Middle School in Terre Haute.

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