Utah man killed, seven students hurt in I-70 crash

Indiana State Police photos A Utah man was killed on Interstate 70 in Hendricks County Friday afternoon when the rental van in which he was riding (above) was sandwiched between a semi tractor (below) and a Missouri school bus (below). The collision pushed another van into the median and sent seven students to area hospitals with minor injuires.

HAZELWOOD -- A multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 70 sandwiched a rental van in between a semi and a school bus Friday afternoon, resulting in the death of a Utah man and minor injuries to a reported seven students on the Missouri bus.

The accident, which occurred shortly before 1 p.m. Friday, shut down I-70 at the State Road 39 interchange in western Hendricks County for more than three hours.

According to Indiana State Police reports, a semi trailer driven by Kenneth B. Gieger Jr., 51, of Princeton, failed to slow down in traffic congestion and struck a Budget rental van driven by 39-year-old Matthew Roeder of Peoria, Arizona. The impact then forced the box truck into the rear of a 2006 Bluebird school bus driven by 52-year-old Wendell R. Clay of Richland, Missouri.

The tractor-trailer continued to veer left, impacting a 1998 Chevrolet van driven by 51-year-old Mark G. Stewart of St. Louis, ultimately forcing the van into the inner barrier cables.

The deceased was a passenger in the rental van, 19-year-old Jace D. Roeder of Woods Cross, Utah, son of Matthew Roeder.

Kenneth Geiger and Matthew Roeder were transported to area hospitals for treatment of what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries. Wendell Clay and Mark Stewart reported no injuries.

Kenneth Geiger was cited for following too close.

The students, who were returning to Stoutland and Richland Schools in Missouri after attending the FFA convention at Indianapolis, were transported to local hospitals to be checked out for minor injuries. There were 23 students and five adults on the bus with seven teenagers sustaining bumps and bruises.

The remaining students and adults were bussed to nearby Cascade High School of the Mill Creek School Corporation to await transportation back to Missouri.

Both westbound lanes of I-70 were reopened at 4:23p.m. Traffic had been rerouted northbound on State Road 39 to westbound U.S. 40.

The tractor-trailer was from KC Trans. Inc. of Princeton.

The crash was investigated by ISP Master Trooper David Furnas. Assisting were various troopers from the Indianapolis and Putnamville Posts, Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement personnel, Hendricks County Coroner’s Office, Plainfield Fire/Rescue, Liberty Township Fire/Rescue, Brown Township Fire/Rescue, and the Indiana Department of Transportation.