Indianapolis,IN : Indianapolis truck driver dies in I-65 accident on Thursday, 14th May, 2020

An Indianapolis man was killed in a two-vehicle crash on I-65 near the U.S. 31 interchange in Taylorsville at about 10 a.m. Thursday.

James Warren Oden, Jr., 49, was pronounced dead on the scene by Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting.

Oden was the driver of a semi that collided with a passenger vehicle, investigators said. Oden died from blunt force trauma, according to Nolting.

Two people were injured in the passenger vehicle, Blaine Pheral, 21, Columbus, and Rachelle Pheral, 22, Columbus. Both were transported to Columbus Regional Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries, the sheriff’s department said.

Oden’s semi was hauling powdered concrete, which created a lengthy delay in reopening the interstate due to the weight of the tanker filled with the material, sheriff deputies said.

Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies and German Township firefighters said the accident happened at about 10 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the 76 mile marker, with the semi found overturned across both lanes of traffic.

The Bartholomew County Emergency Operations Center told first responders that one of the drivers was entrapped and Columbus firefighters were sent to assist at the scene along with German Township.

The semi had leaked approximately 100 gallons of diesel fuel at the accident scene, firefighters said. Fire crews worked to clean up the fuel spill and called IDEM and advised them of the large spill.

Traffic was diverted on U.S. 31 for most of Thursday as investigators determined how to remove the semi tanker and its cargo. The northbound lanes reopened at about 4:15 p.m. Thursday, sheriff deputies said.

Public safety agencies at the scene were German Township Volunteer Fire Department, Edinburgh Police Department, Columbus Fire Department, Columbus Regional Hospital EMS, the sheriff’s department, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department Of Transportation and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

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