Fatal jack-knifed semi crash closes I-70E near Monrovia

MONROVIA, Ind. (WISH) - One man died Tuesday morning while parked on the side of a highway waiting for his vehicle to be towed, police officials say. Eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 were closed for about three hours for crash investigation and cleanup.

A truck driver traveling along eastbound I-70 in Hendricks County was stopped on the shoulder with a tow truck when the incident happened. The truck driver was standing between his semitrailer and a tow truck when another semitrailer came along, jack-knifed and pinned the man between the tow truck and his own vehicle.

The driver of the stopped truck, identified as Arnold O. Rexroad, 64, Effingham, Ill., died, and tow truck driver Joshua Sims, 30, Cloverdale, suffered leg, back and head injuries. The driver of the jack-knifed semi, 60-year-old Richard Maples of Wilmington, Ohio was also hurt, but details about his injuries weren't available. Both men were taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital.

ONLINE EXTRA | View photos from the scene.

Witnesses told police other traffic had slowed for the disabled semi and tow truck, but Maples was going faster than the other vehicles.

The incident happened around 7:36 a.m. and caused the closure of eastbound lanes of I-70 for hours. Officials said as of about 4:30 p.m., the interstate had been completely reopened, INDOT said.

ISP officials had been diverting traffic north onto U.S. 231 so drivers could then head east on U.S. 40 while the interstate was closed.

In addition to investigating the crash, the spilled load of sewing machines, printer ink and adhesive was taking time to clean up.

The crash is at the 57-mile marker, about a mile west of the State Road 39 exit for Monrovia.

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