Two people were hospitalized Saturday following an officer-involved crash in Franklin County.
The accident was reported around 11 p.m. at the intersection of County Line Road and S.R. 46.
Troopers with the Indiana State Police said Franklin County Deputy, 34-year-old Gregory Mehlbauer was traveling west on S.R. 46 in his Ford Expedition police vehicle when he saw a passing car that may have been in violation of the law.
Mehlbauer pulled into County Line Road to make a U-turn to pursue the vehicle. A 1994 GMC truck driven by 18-year-old Steven Miller, of Batesville, was also westbound behind the deputy.
When Mehlbauer was making the U-turn, the GMC was passing by and the police vehicle struck the pickup broadside.
“After the impact the police vehicle came to rest in the roadway and the pickup went off the south side of the roadway and rolled one time coming to rest on its wheels,” said Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Noel Houze.
Miller, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and suffered an apparent broken collar bone. A 19-year-old female passenger in the pickup suffered only minor abrasions.
Both Miller and his passenger were rushed to Margaret Mary Health in Batesville for treatment.
Mehlbauer was not injured in the incident.
Sheriff Ken Murphy said, “This is an unfortunate accident. We work in a dangerous environment and occasionally things like this happen.”
Murphy added that he hopes for a speedy recovery for the occupants of the pickup truck.
Since the accident involves a Franklin County deputy, the investigation is handled by an external agency which is the Indiana State Police.
