Father of I-70 pileup victim talks to State Police

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Investigators blame weather conditions for the fatal pileup on I-70 Thursday afternoon.

The incident sent ten people to four area hospitals. Harry Sohal, 25 of Ontario Canada, died last night at IU Methodist Hospital.

Indiana State Police say Sohal  was riding in a tractor trailer truck with his father at the time of the accident.

Sohal's father was driving and the 25-year-old victim was in the sleeper cab at the time of the accident, police say. The father-son team worked for Challenger Motor Freight trucking company out of Canada. They were heading westbound when the bad weather hit.

Crash investigators were able to interview the 51-year-old father after the crash.

"Snow was very very intense, snow bursts. They couldn't see anything.  Then the truck jack knifed and got into the other trucks," Sgt. Rich Myers said of his talk with Sohal's father.

According to police, the 40 vehicle pileup involved 23 semi tractor trailer vehicles and 17 passenger cars.

Two sisters described their harrowing experience as they drove along I-70 at the time of the pileup.

Becky Parsons and Joy Stierwalt were heading to their home in Monrovia.  Stierwalt was  behind the wheel when the snow squall hit.

“It was just unbelieveable.  I never lived through anything like that.  I truly believe in Karma.  All the good things I have done have kept me there," said Parsons.

Stierwalt says as soon as the weather turned, drivers slowed down and hit their brakes. 

“Semi’s was jack knifing between us. I slid between the semis, the concrete barrier and made it out on the other side with just a scratch on the vehicle." said Stierwalt.

PHOTOS: I-70 Pileup

Emergency vehicles heading to the scene experienced some of the same weather conditions that plagued drivers involved in the wreck.

Some drivers had to be cut out of their damaged vehicles. 

Investigators a treating this as two separate accidents: one in the westbound lanes of I-70, and one in the eastbound lanes.

Because of the number of vehicles involved, State Police do not expect to complete the crash investigation before the middle of next week.