BEDFORD - MARCH 2, 2023 - One person has died as a result of a traffic accident on Indiana State Road 37 near Dixie Highway Wednesday afternoon.
Photo: Indiana State Police diverts traffic from Indiana State Road 37 and U.S. 50 West while a traffic accident was being investigated Wednesday afternoon
On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 3:15 pm officers from the Lawrence County Sheriffs Department responded to a report of a multi vehicle accident on Indiana State Road 37 near Dixie Highway.
Bedford Police officers arrived at the scene to report that the accident victims were trapped in the vehicle and needed to be extricated.
The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department reported that the accident involved a passenger car and wrecker that was towing another vehicle.
Photo: Marion Township fire crews return from a traffic accident on Indiana State Road 37 at Dixie Highway
The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2007 Ford Focus was exiting the car dealership, located on the east side of Indiana State Road 37, to turn left (south) on to Indiana State Road 37, approaching the exit of the dealership. The Ford Focus failed to yield the right of way and began to cross the northbound lanes of Indiana State Road 37 in front of the wrecker.
The wrecker changed lanes into the left lane but was unable to avoid colliding with the Ford Focus. The impact forced the Focus in a northeast direction, where it came to rest off the east side of Indiana State Road 37. The wrecker came to rest partially in the median and partially in the northbound lanes of Indiana State Road 37.
The driver of the Ford Focus, Timothy Mahuron 66, Salem, was extricated from the vehicle by members of the Bedford Fire Department and Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department, Mahuron was flown from the scene to a trauma center where he later died.
Notification was made to Mahuron's family, his passenger Krista Elbe, 48, Salem, was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital for her internal injuries.
The driver of the wrecker, which was owned by A-1 Towing, Seymour, Indiana was Terrance Pompey 60, Spencer. Pompey did not complain of any injuries. However, his passenger Emma Corey, 25, Springville, suffered injuries to her abdomen and was transported to IU Health Bedford for treatment.
The wrecker driver was returning from a previous accident scene that occurred at the Intersection of Indiana State 37 and Indiana State Road 60 in Mitchell that happened around 2:30 pm. Details of that accident is unknown.
Both helicopters landed at the scene of the accident, closing Indiana State Road 37 until about 6:00 pm until the accident scene could be investigated, and accident cleaned up by emergency crews.
Indiana State Troopers had to close both lanes of Indiana State Road 37 for several minutes and the southbound lanes of Indiana State Road 37 for several hours diverting traffic onto U.S. 50 West and Old Indiana State Road 37.
The accident causes congested for several hours, with a huge amount of traffic traveling on Stumphole Bridge Road and Twin Ponds Road.
As required by state law on all serious injury and fatal accidents Pompey consented to a blood draw. Those toxicology results are pending.
Lawrence County Sergeant Michael Williams was investigating officer. Lawrence County Detective Michael Ramos is reconstructing the crash. Williams and Ramos were assisted by the Lawrence County Officer Travis Atchinson and Captain Andy Blackburn.
Assisting at the scene included the Indiana State Police, Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department, Bedford Fire Department, IU Lifeline Ambulance from Lawrence and Orange Counties, Marion Township Volunteer Fire Department, Stat - Flight Air Ambulance, Air Evac, and Mikels Towing.
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