Semi slams into another truck injuring 2; other crashes nearby

By Lucy Perry 
Indiana Central News


Emergency crews responded to a two-semi crash with serious injuries on Interstate 70 in Vigo County this afternoon.

Injured at the scene included one victim needing extricated from the semi-truck after the rear-end collision:

• Truck driver Nick Dismuke, 24, of Michigan was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for treatment of serious internal injuries, fractures and lacerations.
• His co-driver with Dismuke,  Joshua J. Fry of Jackson, 42, also of Michigan, was transported to a Terre Haute hospital for treatment of  internal injuries, an arm fracture and lacerations. 

"The crash entrapped and severely injured one driver and seriously injured a co-driver," Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe Watts said. 

ISP and Terre Haute Fire/Rescue responded to the crash --- in the eastbound lanes of I- 70 near the six mile-marker and on the Wabash River Bridge --- just after 3 p.m.  The Lifeline helicopter landed on the bridge near the crash.

"Traffic was slow and nearly stopped, when a 2016 Volvo tractor pulling a box trailer, driven by Dismuke , failed to stop and struck the rear of a box trailer being pulled by 2007 Kenworth tractor driven by 51-year-old Alexandru Pistin of Brownstown, Mich.," Watts said, adding that the impact entrapped Dismuke for nearly one hour.  Pistin was not injured.

Watts notes that traffic was re-routed onto National Avenue through West Terre Haute to US 41 south to I-70. Two other minor crashes reportedly occurred during the re-route. After several hours of closure, all lanes were reopened just before 7 p.m.