(Decatur County, IN) – A man was killed in a fiery head-on crash on U.S. 421 in southern Decatur County Wednesday morning.
Indiana State Police say a car driven by 47-year-old Joseph Arthur of Indianapolis was southbound on 421 at County Road 700 East near the Decatur/Ripley County line shortly before 7 a.m. when, for an unknown reason, he lost control of the vehicle which crossed the center line and into the path of a northbound semi pulling a trailer.
The vehicles collided head on in the northbound lanes.
Arthur was pronounced dead at the scene.
The semi caught fire as a result of the crash but the driver, 55-year-old Michael Olsen of Charlotte, Michigan, was able to exit the vehicle with minor injuries.
ISP says initial evidence indicates speed likely played a role in the crash, which remains under investigation.
U.S. 421 was closed in both directions for approximately five hours for the crash investigation and cleanup.
Troopers from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post received assistance from the ISP Crash Reconstruction Team; the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office; the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office; the Greensburg Police Department; Ripley County EMS; Decatur County EMS; the Greensburg and Napoleon fire departments; the Decatur County Coroner’s Office; INDOT, and TDS Towing.
