Benton County-Today at approximately 1:55 p.m, Indiana State Police at Lafayette were advised of a crash on US 41 southbound near County Road 300 south (about three miles south of Fowler, IN) in Benton County involving an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) truck.
Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Trooper Sean Swain has revealed that INDOT was patching holes on US 41 southbound near CR 300 s with two arrow boards and three trucks in the right lane. There were also signs north of the location advising of road work ahead. A 2007 Freightliner tractor pulling a box trailer filled with foodstuff that was owned by Pruitt Trucking was also in the right lane. The driver, Thomas L. Klitzing, 65 years old from Rosedale, IN stated he was looking at the windmills in the area, looked back at the roadway and saw the 2005 orange Sterling dump truck towing an attenuator. He had already driven by one INDOT truck with an arrow board and the two signs. Klitzing swerved and attempted to brake when he struck the left side of the dump truck with the semi rig causing the trailer to rip open releasing part of the load onto the ground. The semi rig came to rest in the median with cargo strewn over the roadway. Klitzing was not injured.
The INDOT truck was pushed down into the ditch. The driver, Fairley Creech, 62 years old from Oxford, IN complained of pain and was transported to St. Elizabeth Central in Lafayette, IN. The INDOT truck appears to be a total loss. The semi received approximately $50,000.00 in damages. Klitzing was cited for Failure to Yield to Highway Maintenance Service Vehicles and released. The investigation is continuing.
Assisting at the scene was Master Trooper Mike Probasco of the Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Division, Benton county EMS and the Benton County Sheriff’s Department.
Picture one is the damaged INDOT truck. Picture two is the damaged Freightliner truck. Picture three is the INDOT truck the Freightliner drove by before hitting the second INDOT truck.
Suspects are considered innocent until and when proven guilty in a court of law.
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