Montgomery County-Today at approximately 7:48 a.m. on I-74 eastbound near the 31 mile marker in Montgomery County, a semi ran into the back of a parked vehicle killing the back seat passenger.
Preliminary investigation by Senior Trooper Mat Voorhees and Probationary Trooper Clayton Gum has revealed that a blue 2006 Chevrolet Impala parked on the emergency lane had stopped to change drivers. Hugh H. Guild Jr, 24 years old from Indianapolis had just exited the back left passenger door. A white 2001 Freightliner semi pulling a box trailer driven by Max M. Jackson, 38 years old from Beech Grove, IN was eastbound when the lens of his glasses fell to the floor. When he reached down to pick up the lens, the semi drifted off the right side of the roadway and struck the Impala killing Guild.
The original driver, Christopher W. Jensen, 21 years old from Omaha was not in the vehicle at the time and was not injured. The front seat passenger Sheldon P. Nez, 21 years old from Tuba City, AZ was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis with non life threatening head injuries. Kentrell L. Vertner, 27 years old from Omaha was sitting in the right rear passenger seat, was not injured. No part of the load on the semi trailer was lost.
The investigation is continuing. Assisting at the scene was Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Master Trooper Mike Probasco, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Crawfordsville Fire Department, Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and the Montgomery County Emergency Management.
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Suspects are presumed innocent until and when proven guilty in a court of law.
