Boone County, IN : 2 dead in 9-vehicle crash on I-65 northbound near mile marker 129 just south of the Zionsville/Whitestown exit on Sunday, 5th January, 2020

Two women and a 1-year-old were killed in a nine-vehicle crash Sunday on I-65 involving a semi driver who is now facing three felony charges.

It's the second fatal crash in Central Indiana in six months in which a semi driver who was distracted while driving is now facing charges.

The crash, involving eight vehicles and a semitrailer truck, happened around 11:05 a.m. on I-65 northbound near mile marker 129 just south of the Zionsville/Whitestown exit, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Office. Witnesses told police that a fire started after the semi collided with the line of vehicles. One vehicle was pinned against the guardrail and a second vehicle was pushed over the guardrail, before landing on its driver’s side.

Mariah Tomey, 21, and Kaylee Kirk, 19, both of Lebanon were in the pinned vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene. Responding officers later discovered that 1-year-old Hadley Tomey had also died in that vehicle.

Semi driver Mathew Lewis Small, 34, of Grandville, Michigan, told police he was driving northbound on I-65 and looked away to put his coffee mug down when he ran into slowing traffic. Police said it appears that Small’s semi hit and seriously damaged all of the other eight vehicles involved.

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