SCOTT COUNTY – One man is dead after being struck while walking in the southbound lanes of Interstate 65 late Sunday night.
According to a press release issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), just after 11:25 p.m., the driver of a southbound bobtail Volvo semi-tractor reported to 911 that he believed he had struck a pedestrian walking along the fog line near mile marker 35, just north of Austin, Indiana. ISP says the driver immediately pulled to the shoulder and contacted authorities. Deputies from the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department responded to the area and began searching for a possible victim, but initially located no one.
A short time later, as deputies continued their search, a southbound Ford Escape struck the pedestrian as he walked northbound in the driving lane approximately one-half mile north of the initial contact location. The driver of the passenger vehicle immediately stopped and notified 911. Deputies responded to this second crash scene, and troopers from the Indiana State Police Sellersburg Post were then requested to the scene.
First responders transported the pedestrian, identified as Bryce Allen Sheaffer, 35, of Seymour, to Scott Memorial Hospital in Scottsburg, where he was pronounced deceased. Trooper Tate Rolfing, a crash reconstructionist with the Indiana State Police, responded to the scene and conducted the investigation. Preliminary findings indicate the semi-tractor grazed Sheaffer initially. Sheaffer continued walking northbound against traffic and entered the driving lane, where he was struck by the passenger vehicle several minutes later, according to the ISP release.
Neither alcohol nor drugs is suspected as a factor with either driver. Southbound lanes of I-65 were closed for the investigation until approximately 4 a.m. Monday.
This crash remains under investigation by the Indiana State Police.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
