Full Notification

Delaware County – On the morning of 2/14, around 11:30 a.m., the Indiana State Police Pendleton Post received a report of multiple vehicles crashed at the 248 mile marker on I-69 in Delaware County, with the interstate blocked on both sides. Troopers responded along with deputies from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department to a series of crashes that had I-69 closed for hours

After completion of a lengthy investigation and compiling all the data, it has been determined that there were six semis, one school bus and 33 passenger cars involved in seven separate crashes in the initial incident on the south bound side of I-69. Indiana State Police did not investigate any of the crashes on the north bound side.

Crashes in the area had north bound I-69 closed until 3:30 p.m., and both lanes of south bound I-69 closed until 8:30 p.m. All seven crashes occurred within a quarter mile stretch of I-69. There were sixteen people transported, treated and released for non life threatening injuries at IU Health’s Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie.

The investigation revealed that the collisions started in the near white out conditions when a south bound East Allen County School Bus, driven by Sabrina Klotz of Harlan, Indiana, ran into the rear of a south bound van that had slowed or stopped in the driving lane for an unknown reason. The van’s driver, Oratia Peralta of Indianapolis, was uninjured. 13 were treated and released from the bus for complaints of pain.

Troopers were assisted Saturday by Troopers from the Peru District, an Indiana Conservation Officer, Delaware County EMA and EMS, the Muncie Fire Department and Grant County EMS.