Sleepy driver causes chain reaction of Tuesday morning wrecks

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

CLOVERDALE -- A sleepy driver's crash on Interstate 70 in Cloverdale Township caused a chain reaction of accidents that occupied authorities for several hours early Tuesday morning.

At around 2 a.m., Haley L. Ferree, 18, Jeffersonville, was westbound in a 1999 Ford Mustang. She told Deputy Josh Boller she had been feeling sleepy and that she fell asleep as the approached the State Road 243 overpass at the 37-mile marker.

Her vehicle crossed from the right into the left lane, crossing onto the inside shoulder and striking the guardrail. The car came to rest partially in the roadway.

Marilyn Shadowens of Newton, Ill., witnessed the accident and stopped on the right shoulder to check on Ferree's well-being. Shadowens brought Ferree into her vehicle and called 911.

As the women waited, Herman E. Kelley, 59, Summerfield, Ill., approached the wreck in a 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer.

Kelley said he noticed the van on the right side of the road with its reverse lights on, which prompted him to merge left.

He did not see the wrecked Mustang and struck it, before continuing through the guardrail.

As the tractor went down into the ditch, the entire rig rolled onto its right side, with the tractor coming to rest blocking the entire left lane and part of the right lane.

The impact also spun the Mustang around and caused it to catch fire.

A second semi, driving by Jose L. Arias, 62, Bell Gardens, Calif., also approached. Arias could not avoid Kelley's overturned trailer, striking it and then hitting the inside retaining wall underneath the S.R. 243 overpass.

The second semi came to rest beneath the bridge.

Sean A. Ginty, 66, Syracuse, N.Y., was also approaching in a 2009 Mercedes Benz 350 Series. Like Kelley, he saw the van with its reverse lights and merged into the left lane, where he also hit the Mustang.

Kelley was treated by Operation Life for a complaint of pain in his lower arm and elbow area. Arias was also treated for a possible fracture or dislocation in the elbow/lower arm area.

Feree and Ginty were uninjured.

Also working the accident were Lt. Dwight Simmons and Deputy Kile Gibbons of the sheriff's department, as well as the Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department and Curtis Wrecker Service.

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