Danville man dies in U.S. 231 accident

The 2006 Chevrolet pickup, driven by Franklin C. Stokes, 58, Danville, ended up inverted alongside U.S. 231 in northern Owen County Thursday evening. The driver died at the scene of the accident.

Indiana State Police photo

QUINCY – A 58-year-old Hendricks County man was fatally injured Thursday evening in a one-vehicle accident on U.S. 231, about three miles south of the Putnam-Owen county line.

Franklin C. Stokes, of Danville, was ejected from the passenger side window, Indiana State Police at the Bloomington Post reported.

Stokes was driving a 2006 Chevrolet pickup truck with an attached horse trailer, heading northbound in the 9700 block of U.S. 231.

For unknown reasons, police said, the truck left the roadway, struck a guardrail and became inverted, all before detaching from the trailer and coming to final rest.

Stokes was unresponsive as emergency personnel arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

No seat belt was in use at the time of the crash.

The accident reportedly occurred just after 5:30 p.m. The highway was closed for more than two hours.

The horse trailer was empty when the crash occurred, police said.

Trooper Ian Matthews investigated the crash and was assisted by the Owen County Sheriff’s Department, the Gosport Police Department, Owen County EMS, Owen County Fire Department, Cloverdale Township Fire Department and the Owen County Coroner’s Office.