2 men dead after 2 separate crashes in Monroe County
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Two men were killed in two separate car accidents in Monroe County from Tuesday to Friday, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.
The men were identified as Virgil Hupp of Bloomington and Larry Martindale of Solsberry, Indiana. The ages of the men have not been shared yet.
The first accident happened sometime Tuesday. Deputies were dispatched to the 3300 block of North Brummetts Creek Road on a report of an inverted vehicle.
Officers learned that Hupp was driving north on Brummetts Creek Road when for an unknown reason drove off the road and collided with a tree about 25 yards away. As a result of the crash, Hupp’s vehicle flipped.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies say he was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
The second accident occurred sometime on Friday. Officers responded to the 9700 block of West State Road 45 near the Greene County line on a report of a person injured by a tractor.
When investigators arrived, they learned that Martindale was riding on a tractor driven by a man named Justin Ratliff. At some point, the tractor hit a large ditch and threw Martindale off the tractor.
Martindale fell into the ditch and was run over by the tractor. He later died from his injuries.
Investigators say they are still working to gather further information regarding the tractor accident.