Double Trouble: Pair of wrecks see same trailer overturn twice

Separated by five hours and 10 miles, two Putnam County traffic accidents had a common thread on Tuesday.

The same orange box trailer was on its side, blocking traffic as responders attempted to get it back on its wheels.

Having closed U.S. 231 at Waterworks Hill from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Schneider National trailer was involved in a second incident at the eastbound Interstate 70 onramp from U.S. 231, blocking access to the ramp from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Coincidence? A cursed trailer? It was a bad day, to say the least.

The same trailer overturned two separate times in Putnam County on Tuesday, once north of Greencastle and a second time at U.S. 231 and Interstate 70 near Cloverdale. Driver Javier Madera Jr. was uninjured in the first crash, which forced the closure of U.S. 231 at Waterworks Hill from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Courtesy photo

The first accident took place shortly before 11 a.m. Javier Madera Jr. of Chicago was southbound on U.S. 231 descending Waterworks Hill in a 2015 Freightliner registered to Schnieder National Carrier.

Madera told Putnam County sheriff’s Deputy Scott Ducker that he was approaching the Big Walnut Creek bridge traveling about 50 mph when he lost control of the tractor-trailer.

The semi slid off the west side of the road and onto the embankment, where it was pinned between the ground and a pair of trees.

“Fortunately the trees kept the semi from going all the way down into the bottom of the ravine,” Ducker said.

Madera was uninjured in the accident and climbed to safety.

At this point, the work was just beginning for responders.

Arriving around 11:30 a.m, Curtis Wrecker Service, with the assistance of Porter Towing, spent four hours getting the tractor-trailer back upright and on the road.

The tractor sustained heavy front-end damage in the crash, destroying about 50 feet of guardrail on the west side of 231.

Also assisting at the scene of first crash were Capt. Tom Helmer and Deputy Jacob Harrington of PCSD, officers Darrel Bunten and Josh Smith of the Greencastle Police Department and the Greencastle Fire Department.

INDOT crews also responded, assisting with cleanup and traffic control. The state should have the guardrail repaired in a few days.

The second wreck occurred at the I-70 onramp when the trailer broke free, rolled onto its side and skidded into a car driven by Ashley Jones of Cloverdale, who was also not injured.

Courtesy photo

Unfortunately, lightning struck a second time as the wrecker was attempting to haul the semi to Curtis Garage at Little Point.

Around 4:30 p.m., as the wrecker attempted to turn left from U.S. 231 to the eastbound I-70 onramp, the trailer broke loose and again rolled onto its right side.

The trailer skidded into a car driven by Ashley Jones of Cloverdale, who was also attempting to enter the onramp. Fortunately, no one was injured and the car suffered only minor damage.

Indiana State Trooper DuJuan Presley-McFadden investigated the second accident.

With a wrecker already on the scene, the road was reopened about an hour after the crash.