A 66-year-old Salem man was killed in a two-vehicle accident on SR 37 in Lawrence County Wednesday afternoon.
Timothy Mahuron, 66, Salem, was killed. His passenger, Krista Elbe, 48, Salem, was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital with internal injuries.
According to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to a two-vehicle accident at approximately 3:15p Wednesday.
Police said the accident involved a wrecker towing another vehicle and a passenger vehicle.
The preliminary investigation showed that a 2007 Ford Focus was exiting a car dealership o SR 37, located on the east side of the highway, to turn left on Southbound SR 37.
At the same time, a 2015 Ford wrecker was traveling north in the right lane of SR 37, approaching the exit for the dealership.
Police said Mahuron failed to yield the right of way and began to cross the northbound lanes of SR 37 in front of the wrecker.
Police said the wrecker changes lanes, moving into the left lane, but was unable to avoid colliding with the Focus.
The impact forced the Focus in a northeast direction, where it came to rest off the side of the road. The wrecker came to a rest halfway in the median and in the northbound lanes of SR 37.
Mahuron was removed from the vehicle and flown from the scene by medical helicopter. He later died as a result of his injuries.
The driver of the wrecker, owned by A-1 Towing of Seymour, was Terrence Pompey, 60, Spencer. He was not injured, however, his passenger, Emma Corey, 25, Springville, complained of abdomen pain and was transported by ambulance to IU Health in Bedford.
As required by state law in all serious bodily injury and fatal crashes, Pompey consented to a blood draw. Those results are pending.
Lawrence County Sgt. Michael Williams was the investigating officer. Detective Michael Ramos is reconstructing the accident. They were assisted by Officers Travis Atchison and Captain Andy Blackburn.
Other agencies involved were the Indiana State Police, Marion Township Fire Department, Bedford Fire Department Rescue, IU Health Lifeline Ambulance from Bedford and Orange County, Statflight Air Ambulance, Lifeline Air Evacuation and Mikels Towing Service.
