An early morning car versus deer crash resulted in a separate fatality crash involving the car and a northbound semi-truck. 

Shortly after 4:00 Saturday morning, a 2015 Nissan Versa Note traveling northbound on I-65 near the 26.5 mile-marker struck a deer in the roadway. 

The vehicle was disabled due to the crash and remained partially in the right-hand lane. The driver, Veronica McCall of Crothersville, Indiana, then exited the car due to its position in the road. 

A short time later, a 2014 Volvo Semi Tractor-Trailer approached from the south and struck the unoccupied Nissan Versa from behind. 

After colliding with the car, the semi traveled off the east side of I-65 and up an embankment coming to rest in a treeline. 

The Scott County Sheriff’s Department and Scottsburg City Police Department responded, along with the Scottsburg City Fire Department and the Monroe Township Fire Department. 

The driver of the semi-truck required extradition, and due to weather conditions, medical helicopters were not able to respond. 

Units on-scene requested assistance from the Indiana State Police (ISP), including an ISP crash reconstruction team. 

The semi-truck driver, 71-year-old Johnny G. Skarb of Wonder Lake, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Scott County Coroner’s Office. 

Next of Kin was notified by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. 

The driver of the Nissan was not injured in the crash.

I-65 northbound remained closed until approximately 9:30 a.m., and all northbound traffic was diverted off onto US31 while the interstate was closed. 

Early this morning, Detectives with the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post were called to investigate an officer-involved shooting and a separate homicide that occurred in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. 

Two Lawrenceburg residents died as a result of the incidents.

At approximately 3:00 am, on October 24, 2020, officers with the Lawrenceburg, Indiana Police Department were called to the Summit Pointe Apartments located on Deer Run Drive in Lawrenceburg reference a disturbance. 

The first officer arrived shortly after the call was dispatched. 

Upon entering the apartment building and standing in the hallway, the officer was confronted by Brandon G. Evans, age 33, who was naked and holding a knife.  The Lawrenceburg officer fired at least one round from his department handgun, striking Evans. 

The LPD officer along with other officers from the Lawrenceburg Police Department, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office, and Greendale Police Department attempted to administer first aid to Evans. 

Evans succumbed to the injuries he received.  He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Dearborn County Coroner’s Office.  The officer was not injured.

While canvassing the apartments, officers located Staci L. Coyne, age 37, deceased inside one of the apartments. 

The investigation determined that Coyne was the victim of a homicide. 

She was pronounced deceased at the scene by the coroner’s office. 

Investigators believe the two incidents were connected and that Evans and Coyne knew each other. 

Detectives also discovered that Evans had allegedly entered a different apartment in the building and caused damage inside the unoccupied apartment prior to officers arriving on the scene.    

The Lawrenceburg Police Department requested that detectives from the Indiana State Police-Versailles Post respond and conduct an investigation into the incident.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.  Autopsies are scheduled to be performed Monday in Hamilton County, Ohio.  The involved LPD Officer’s name will be released in a later news release.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the case will be forwarded to the Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Lawrenceburg Police Department, Dearborn County Sheriff’s Office, Greendale Police Department, Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office, and Dearborn County Coroner’s Office.

The White River Military Coordination Alliance was recognized Tuesday, Oct. 13 for its efforts to increase collaboration between Naval Support Activity Crane and the communities neighboring the installation during the ROI Annual Report to the Region and Indiana Uplands Regional Innovation Awards.

The Alliance received the 2020 Regional Collaboration Award for its work to build partnerships among the local communities, regional organizations, state agencies, and NSA Crane to improve communications, protect jobs and foster compatible economic development. Virtually accepting the award was Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana and Alliance member.

“The Alliance is a true testament on how the community, stakeholders, and the military have come together to enhance collaboration and partnerships in the region,” said CDR James Smith, Commanding Officer for Naval Support Activity Crane. “Thank you to ROI and to everyone for the support and efforts that have led to the success of the Alliance and all the amazing work throughout the Indiana Uplands.”

ROI’s virtual event celebrated the hard work, innovation, and collaboration that is moving the Indiana Uplands toward a more prosperous future, with the awards specifically acknowledging meaningful improvements to education, economic development, and/or quality of place within the 11 counties of the Uplands region.

“It is an honor to be recognized by ROI and the Indiana Uplands for the 2020 Regional Collaboration Award,” said Gene McCracken, chair of the Alliance. “We are proud of the accomplishments our members have made thus far and look forward to further enhancing the region through collaborative efforts.”

Meaningful improvements to the Indiana Uplands region since the formation of the Alliance in late 2019 include:

• Coordination of a 911 Call Transfer and coordination MOU with the Navy and county dispatch centers in the five-county area to improve public safety and facilitate mutual aid.
• The development of a public information website designed to keep the community informed about Crane and provide a vehicle to contact Crane with questions or concerns
• A GIS-based Conservation Inventive Toolkit designed to help landowners identify opportunities to protect farmland, forestland, and wetlands in the communities that neighbor NSA Crane and Lake Glendora Test Facility, which is an important part of preserving jobs at Crane by keeping the land surrounding the installation compatible with the work Crane does
• A Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, NSA Crane, the Alliance, the counties neighboring Crane and two incorporated towns within three miles of the installation — to formalize a commitment to open lines of communication and increase collaboration
• First-of-their-kind State of the Installation and State of the Community briefings to identify opportunities for collaboration between Crane and communities neighboring the installation

It is harvest time, and here in Washington County, our beautiful,
rural landscape is home to many crops that will need to be brought in over the next few weeks.

As Washington County Sheriff, I want to take this opportunity to offer tips to drivers and farmers so we can all be safe this time of year.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more than 1,000 farm vehicle crashes each year in the US. 75% of those accidents result in injury, with a higher proportion of the injuries being sustained by the driver of the non-farm vehicle.

In 2018, the year for which we have the most recent data, there were 92 fatal farm equipment crashes nationwide, with two of
those occurring in Indiana.

These and other accidents are tragic, and there are some simple steps we can take to be safer on the roadway while the important work of crop harvesting occurs.

In the coming weeks, drivers will be encountering slow-moving farm equipment on Washington County roadways. While the term “farm equipment” encompasses a wide range of vehicles, the most common types motorists will encounter during harvest season include tractors, combines, grain carts, grain wagons and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the roadway, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph.

The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment:
· Most farmers will pull over when they are able to let you pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so. Be careful and patient when passing.
· Allow plenty of time to get to your destination, be aware of alternate routes and avoid distractions.
· Do not pass within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure, or tunnel.

· Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the roadway. Exercise caution when passing.
· Do not tailgate farm vehicles, as they might have to make sudden stops along the road.
· Do not try to pass a slow-moving vehicle on the left without ensuring that the vehicle is not planning a left turn. It may appear that the driver is pulling over for you to pass when it is actually preparing to turn. You will drive right into its path,
endangering yourself and the farmer. While we do our best to share the road with farmers and their machinery, it’s also important for farmers to show other drivers a similar courtesy. Here are some safety tips for farmers:
· In Indiana, farmers are required by law to have a slow-moving vehicle sign on the back of their machinery if it moves more slowly than 25 miles per hour. The sign should be mounted 3 to 5 feet above the pavement and in the center of the load, or as close as possible. Red flags are not substitutes for SMV signs, and signs
need to be visible to all drivers and not damaged.
· In addition, all equipment lights must be working correctly and be easy for other drivers to see.
· Farmers should also be careful when towing equipment. Operators should not tow more than two implements. Make sure any towing equipment is visible.
Indiana state law says that where flashers are required on tractors, flashing lights on the tractor or on a pickup are sufficient, and there is no need for flashing lights at the rear of the towed piece. However, farm equipment operators should take
responsibility to make sure all flashing lights are visible. If the hauled equipment blocks the flashing lights on the tow vehicle, then flashing lights could be required on the equipment.
· There is also a limit to how much farm machinery can disturb the natural pace of traffic. If three or more vehicles are behind the farm machinery and cannot pass safely on the left, the driver is required to pull off to the right to allow cars to pass if able to do so safely.

As your Sheriff, I never want to see someone injured or killed in a farm equipment accident.

I know the people of our community appreciate our farmers, and that our farmers respect and share access to the roadways.

If we all work together by following roadway safety guidelines and laws, we can ensure we will have a safe and successful harvest season for everyone.