One dead after crash involving 4 semitrucks in Clark County

LATEST: Indiana State Police has identified the person who died as Tamika Freeman, 48, of Conyers, Georgia.

MEMPHIS, Ind. (WISH) — Troopers with the Indiana State Police are investigating a fatal crash involving 4 semitrucks on the I-65 southbound off-ramp to Memphis Blue Lick Road in Clark County.

Just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, a 911 caller reported that a semitruck had rear-ended another semitruck on the off-ramp from I-65 southbound onto Memphis Blue Lick Road in Memphis, Indiana. When officers and first responders arrived on the scene, they found the driver of a black 2017 Volvo semitruck entrapped in his cab. The driver had a head injury and was later flown to the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

A female passenger in the sleeper of the same truck was entrapped and was also unresponsive. Once recovered from the wreckage, the passenger was pronounced dead.

Investigators believe three semitrucks with trailers were parked on the right emergency lane of the off-ramp. A fourth semitruck, the black 2017 Volvo, was southbound on I-65 and exiting on the same ramp. For an unknown reason, the Volvo traveled off the right side of the exit lane and clipped the front end of the first parked semitruck. The Volvo continued off the right side of the off-ramp and collided with the rear of a second parked truck and trailer. As the black Volvo continued forward, it lifted and traveled underneath the trailer of the second truck until it collided with the rear of the second tractor and came to rest. The collision also pushed the second tractor into the rear of a third parked truck and trailer. The driver of the second tractor sustained non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to University Hospital by ground ambulance.

The off-ramp remained closed to traffic until approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday. No names have been released as police continue to investigate and make notifications to family members.