Greencastle woman, two children injured in crash with semi north of Cloverdale

CLOVERDALE -- Three people, two of them children, were taken to Indianapolis hospitals following a serious collision on U.S. 231 north of Cloverdale Thursday morning.

At 6:38 a.m., Erica Stampley, 27, Greencastle, was northbound in a passenger car in the area of County Road 800 South when, for an unknown reason, she swerved into the southbound lane.

The car entered the path of a southbound tractor-trailer driven by John Snell, 38, Chalmers.

A Greencastle woman and her two children are in Indianapolis hospitals after their car collided, nearly head-on, with a semi tractor Thursday morning.

Courtesy Cloverdale Volunteer Fire Department

The two vehicles collided nearly head-on in the left-front area of each.

The collision sent Snell's tractor-trailer into the ditch, while Stampley's car remained in the roadway, heavily damaged.

Stampley and her two children were all seriously injured in the crash.

The truck driver was not seriously injured, though his tractor-trailer wound up in a ditch on the west side of the road.

Courtesy Cloverdale Volunteer Fire Department

The children were each taken to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, while their mother was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Late Thursday morning, Cloverdale Town Marshal Steve Hibler emphasized that, contrary to rumors on social media, there had been no fatalities in the crash.

Shortly before noon, Cloverdale Police Sgt. Billy Wallace gave the Banner Graphic updates on the conditions of all three patients. Erica Stampley had been in surgery earlier in the morning and was in critical but stable condition. Her daughter had also been in surgery and was likewise critical but stable. Her son was in serious but stable condition.

Snell was not seriously injured and was taken to Putnam County Hospital.

The weather kept any medical helicopters from responding to the scene, so all three victims from the passenger car were taken to Indianapolis via ambulance.

Putnam County Operation Life and even one ambulance from PMH in Roachdale were called to the crash.

Cloverdale Fire Department was on scene to help with extrication, patient care and cleanup.

Wallace is investigating the crash, with assistance from Hibler, the Putnam County Sheriff's Department and ISP Motor Carrier troopers.

The effort took much of the morning, with the road closed completely until after 8 a.m. then continuing with one lane later into the morning.