A Bedford man was killed Monday afternoon in a single vehicle crash on US 50 near Shoals when a tree fell across the road and into his vehicle. 

Dead is Eric M. Gootee, 33, Bedford, IN. 

At 3:30 PM Monday, Gootee was driving a 2008 Kenworth truck eastbound on US 50 near Rama Dye Road (two miles west of Shoals) when a large tree on the south side of the highway fell across the roadway and into the path of Gootee’s truck. 

The tree hit the truck in the windshield and passenger compartment, impacting Gootee. 

Gootee was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Martin County Coroner.

US 50 was closed for over two hours while the crash was investigated and the scene was cleared.

This morning at approximately 9:18 am, Trooper Brandon Farias observed a stopped vehicle, a green 2000 Lincoln Continental, on Interstate #265 near the 0.5 Mile Marker in Floyd County.

The driver had stopped the green Lincoln on the left shoulder of the road with the emergency flashers engaged.

When trooper Farias approached the vehicle he observed that the female driver was slumped over in the seat.

Trooper Farias knocked on the window of the vehicle but the female was unresponsive. He then opened the driver’s side door and the driver woke up.

As trooper Farias was speaking to the female, identified as Melissa Karsner, 37, from Jeffersonville, IN, he noticed a used syringe in the driver’s side door. Upon further investigation, another syringe was located in the vehicle loaded with a liquid alleged to be Heroin.

Karsner was placed into custody and transported to the Floyd County Jail. While at the jail, a glass smoking pipe and alleged Methamphetamine were located on her person.

Karsner was charged with Possession of Cocaine or Narcotic Drug, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Syringe, Possession of Paraphernalia and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.

The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes in Southern Indiana on Sunday, including three near Salem, Indiana, as severe storms passed through Southern and Central Indiana.

Storm surveyors from Louisville office of the National Weather Service determined that damage in Washington County was caused by three tornadoes with winds as high as 95 miles per hour.

A fourth, separate tornado was confirmed in Lawrence County near Springville, west of Bedford. 

Ahead of this front strong storms moved into southern Indiana Sunday afternoon, a broad swath of 40-55 mph winds results in numerous power outages across the regino including nearly 1600 customers from Jackson County REMC.

A front that passed through around 11p resulted in 3 tornadoes in Washington County, IN.

The first tornado hit 6 miles west of Salem on West Washington School Road and registered as at least an “EF0” on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with winds of 80 mph.

The scale rates the severity of tornadoes on a scale of 0 to 5.

A second tornado near South Main Street in Salem registered as an “EF1” with 90-95 mph winds. 

A third tornado 4 miles east of Salem at the intersection of Canton and Howell Road registered as an “EF1” with 90-95 mph winds. 

National Weather Service storm surveyors from Indianapolis, which cover counties north of Washington, confirmed the tornado in Lawrence County. The EF rating had not yet been determined. 

“EF0” tornadoes register a three-second-gust speed of between 65 and 85 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service website. “EF1” tornadoes register a three-second-gust speed of between 86 and 110 miles per hour.

All three tornadoes hit between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators are still determining the extent of the damage, but pictures showed heavy wreckage on South Main Street in Salem. 

NWS investigated a tornado in Orange County but there was little damage. 

Unseasonably warm temperatures caused havoc across Central and Southern Indiana Sunday afternoon, with severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings being issued – and the Indiana University Men’s basketball game being delayed at one point. 

Power was also out in much of Salem for about 90 minutes with several hundred Duke Energy customers out and almost 1600 customers of Jackson County Rural Electric out in the afternoon due to high winds. 

According to Washington County Emergency Management Director Desi Alexander, the National Weather Service detected a tornado touchdown somewhere by West Washington School Corporation in the area of Mt. Tabor Road. 

According to the NWS, a classic Tornado Debris Signature was reported just to the West of Salem in Washington County.

Another warning area was indicated North on 135. 

They also will be investigating Tornado touchdowns in Orange County and at two locations in Washington County this afternoon. 

However, Superintendent Keith Nance said this morning there was no indication of damage to the school.

Alexander said there were trees uprooted in a rural area around Mt. Tabor Road and possibly a home with some siding damaged. 

The NWS issued a tornado warning for Washington County at 11:01p – after several others were called and dismissed earlier in the day in Lawrence, Jackson, Orange and Jennings Counties. 

Rotation was initially indicated by radar in the Livonia area and the storm was tracking quickly east to Salem. 

Damage was reported to the north fence of the Salem High School Football field, with some advertising signs damaged and a large section of the fence ripped from the posts. 

There was a medical vehicle damaged in the St. Vincent Hospital lot as well as a small cargo trailer and a light pole knocked down near the high school. 

A transformer in the area was also on fire. 

Electric poles were also down on Water Street and Main Street, where damage was also reported at the Dinner Bell restaurant and with several vehicles at Eddie Gilstrap Motors. 

A large tree fell across South High Street, blocking traffic. 

Another tree was across the road at Bee Line Road, where a motorist in a truck tried to drive over parts of tree and damaged his truck. 

A resident along the road cut up and removed part of the tree and a county snow plow came and pushed the rest of the tree over into the ditch. 

After a weekend where many mulched leaves and cleaned their yards, those yards were strewn with sticks and limbs from trees after the winds hit 40 and 50 mph during the day. 

Lights flickered in Salem around 2p and finally went out for portions of the city about 2:45p. 

WSLM lost power as well as Walmart, and most areas north of the public square. 

Power was restored to Duke Customers about 3:48p. 

WSLM will continue following the story throughout the day and provide updates here on wslmradio.com as well as on air. 

Washington County Sheriff Roger Newlon would like to remind drivers that the deer mating season occurs during the fall of the year and can be a dangerous time for drivers.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department has investigated twenty automobile accidents in the past five days and twelve of those accidents were car/deer accidents. Five of those car/deer accidents occurred between Thursday morning and Friday morning.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Indiana State Police Headquarters Laboratory is sharing the attached news release about the dangers of heroin adulterated with fentanyl drugs.  This release was issued Friday by the American Association of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) is issuing an
urgent public alert regarding the dangers posed by drugs currently
circulating America’s streets and neighborhoods as a result of the current
opioid crisis.

This alert is intended to help the public recognize and avoid
suspicious materials when they are nearby.

“The threat is unprecedented,” warns ASCLD President Ray Wickenheiser. “Some of the clandestine substances being sold or made accessible have formulations that are so toxic that it’s better to consider them poison.”

The street drugs the public may be exposed to can be so dangerous that
even trace amounts can be fatal when ingested, inhaled or even absorbed
through the skin.

Carfentanil, a drug 100 times more lethal than fentanyl and 10,000 times more lethal than morphine, is used to tranquilize elephants, yet is now available on the streets.

A lethal dose is approximately 20 micrograms, which is about the size of a grain of salt. The problem is so serious that it requires scientists working in crime laboratories across the United States to take additional special precautions to protect their own safety.

According to Wickenheiser, approximately 94% of all crime laboratories in the United States compile and share data pertaining to drug evidence submissions.

“Crime laboratories see and identify a variety of drugs, compiling statistics from across many law enforcement agencies. There is a direct relationship between the kinds of drugs we are seeing in our laboratories and the spike in overdose deaths being reported in hospitals across the country.”

ASCLD warns members of the public to pay close attention in order to recognize and avoid dangerous drug paraphernalia.

Drugs seen in America’s crime laboratories are often packaged, transported, and used with common household items.

Items to be avoided include:

• Pills, tablets, or unidentified candy
• Powders, especially those that are white or gray in color
• Glassine (wax paper) packets, small knotted plastic bag corners or ziplock bags
• Clear capsules that contain powder
• Rubber balloons or condoms
• Small, brightly colored packages
• Syringes or spoons
• Stickers or labels that seem out of place (potent drugs may be on the adhesive side)

The following crime lab data underscore the nature and severity of the problem:

• In the first six months of 2017, there was a 19% increase in opioid submissions to crime
labs as compared to all of 2016
• In 2016, there were over 22 different types of fentanyl (a powerful opioid pain
medication) identified in crime labs
• 2017 has seen a 54% increase in fentanyl cases submitted to crime labs
• Between 2012 and 2016, laboratories have witnessed a 6000% increase in fentanyl
cases. This increase corresponds directly with the overdose deaths being seen
nationwide.
• Case backlogs have increased by roughly 28% in the last year due to the increasing
case submissions, case complexity and danger of the drugs now being seized by law
enforcement

Forensic scientists working in America’s crime laboratories have seen first-hand, the kinds of materials and containers that may pose the greatest threat. This public alert is based on their direct experience observing and analyzing these dangerous drugs.   

Street drugs laced with fentanyl pose life threatening consequences to the user as well as medical and police personnel that respond to a person who has overdosed on fentanyl laced drugs.  These drugs also present significant risks to police laboratory professionals who must analyze these toxic drugs.

For more information about fentanyl drugs from the Indiana State Police, visit http://www.in.gov/isp/labs/2535.htm

For more information about ASCLD, visit http://www.ascld.org/

An emergency rule signed Friday by the DNR, filed with the Natural Resources Commission and the Legislative Services Agency, states the following:

“Rifle cartridges that were allowed in previous years on public land for deer hunting are allowed on public land again this year during the deer firearms season, the reduction zone season (in zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm), special hunts on other public lands such as State Parks and National Wildlife Refuges, and special antlerless season.

This means that the rifle cartridge must fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger, have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches, and have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches if used on public land. Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal.”

For more information on rifle requirements for deer hunting on private land, visit wildlife.IN.gov/7389.htm and click on “Equipment.”

The Orleans Chamber of Commerce is finalizing plans for its upcoming
Annual “Christmas on the Square” event set for December 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Chamber is still looking for any school and community performing groups and individuals to perform holiday music during the community event.

The Chamber also welcomes the participation of any civic clubs or local groups in hosting or sponsoring an activity on the square that evening.

Groups may schedule times by contacting Robert Henderson at historicorleans@netsurfusa.net or by calling the Chamber Office 812 865-9930.