One killed in I-70 construction zone crash

BRAZIL, ind. (WISH) - A fatal crash closed Interstate 70 in both directions southeast of Brazil for hours Tuesday evening after a cement truck rolled onto an SUV in a construction zone.

Indiana State Police said a Ford Exploer was stopped due to construction traffic near the 30-mile marker of eastbound Interstate 70 when a cement truck toppled on top of it at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The cement truck was trying to navigate around a section of freshly poured concrete when its wheels dropped into the wet concrete and the driver lost control, ISP said.

Georgia Matthews, 70, Indianapolis, the driver of the SUV, was uninjured in the crash and was able to free herself from the SUV. Her sister-in-law, Margaret Matthews, 74, Indianapolis, was killed in the crash. Putnam County Deputy Coroner Steve Walters pronounced her dead at the scene of blunt force trauma, ISP said.

Georgia Matthews' husband, Willis Lee Matthews, 74, Indianapolis, was trapped inside the SUV for nearly two hours, and was conscious the whole time, ISP said. A wrecker crew had to pull the cement truck partially off the wreckage of the SUV to allow emergency crews access to him. He was flown via medical helicopter to IU Health Methodist Hospital with leg and internal injuries.

William Lindeman, 51, Spencer, the driver of the cement truck, was taken to Putnam County Hospital with internal injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, ISP said.

INDOT reports the westbound lanes - closed to allow the medical helicopter to land - were reopened at about 6:15 p.m., but the eastbound lanes remained closed until about 8:30 p.m.

No citations were issued in connection with the crash.