GREENFIELD – An Indianapolis man was killed early Monday when he was struck by a semi-tractor trailer after crashing his motorcycle and landing in the roadway.
The accident happened with back-to-back crashes, investigators determined. Adam Curtis, 36, of Indianapolis, was riding north in the 4600 block of State Road 9 toward Greenfield around 2 a.m. when he struck two deer that crossed into his path, police said.
Curtis was thrown from his motorcycle and landed in the middle of the road. As a neighbor who heard the crash ran toward him, shouting to try to alert traffic following the motorcycle, Curtis was struck by the semi, police said.
The accident happened just north of County Road 500S.
Investigators determined Curtis was driving north on State Road 9 when the deer ran into the road, police said. Curtis collided with the animals, killing both.
The impact threw Curtis from his motorcycle, police said. The bike careened off the east side of State Road 9 and came to rest in a ditch.
Curtis fell in the center of the roadway, police said.
The neighbor told police Curtis was lying motionless in the middle of the road as the northbound semi-truck approached.
The neighbor shouted to Curtis in hopes he’d move out of the path of the oncoming truck and tried to signal the driver; but Curtis was struck seconds later, police said.
A coroner pronounced Curtis dead at the scene of the accident.
The driver of the semi, whose name was not released by investigators, stopped immediately after the accident.
He cooperated with the investigation and gave a statement to police before being released. A breathalyzer test, given to drivers in any fatal accident, showed he had no alcohol in his system, police said.
State Road 9 was closed between County Roads 400S and 500S until about 6:30 a.m. while members of the Hancock County Fatal Accident Crash Team tried to determine what caused the accident.
The crash remains under investigation by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
An autopsy is expected to be performed on Curtis this week. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of crash, police said.