BATESVILLE — Investigators believe speed and possibly drug use led to a serious crash where a man was ejected from a vehicle on I-74 Friday afternoon.
The crash occurred near the 148 mile marker around 4:30 p.m. The westbound lane was closed at Batesville for nearly two hours.
21-year-old Jacob H. Easterbrook, of Indianapolis, was driving a 1999 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck and attempted to pass a semi. Investigators say the semi started to change lanes and Easterbrook locked his brakes, skidded off the road and struck a guard rail.
He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected after impact. Easterbrook suffered a broken leg and was flown to University Hospital in Cincinnati as a precautionary measure and was later released.
The accident led to a secondary crash when a vehicle driven by Mohamad Saleh was struck by debris. Saleh was not injured and his vehicle suffered only minor damage.
State Troopers believe speed and possible use of illegal drugs contributed to the crash. Detectives are waiting on blood test results.
Indiana State Police were assisted on the scene by Batesville Police and Batesville Fire & EMS.
