HANCOCK COUNTY — The driver of a pickup truck that smashed into a vehicle that had spun in front of him early Monday morning told investigators he could do nothing to avoid hitting the car in his path.
Amy Cox, 54; and her son Isaac Cox, 24, both of New Palestine, died on impact in the two-vehicle crash, which occurred about 6:15 a.m. Monday on County Road 200W near the intersection with County Road 200S.
Deputies believe weather was the main factor in the crash. Roads in the area were mostly snow-covered, slick and hazardous after about 4 inches of snow fell Sunday night and early Monday morning.
Capt. Robert Harris, public information officer for the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, said a 2019 Ford F-350 pickup, driven by Dawson Andrews, 21, of Missouri, was southbound on County Road 200W when it collided with a 2006 Chevrolet HHR coming from the opposite direction.
Amy Cox, who was driving, apparently lost control on the snowy road and spun directly in front of the large pickup truck, Harris said. The collision caved in the passenger side of the HHR, and both vehicles skidded off the road.
Deputies found Amy Cox and the front-seat passenger, Isaac Cox, unresponsive. Both were wearing seat belts, Harris said.
Andrews told investigators he didn’t have time to react and couldn’t make an evasive maneuver to avoid the collision, Harris said. Andrews is cooperating with the investigation and was taken to Hancock Regional Hospital as a precaution. He also submitted to a routine blood-draw to test for drugs or alcohol. But neither speed nor driver impairment appear to be factors in the crash, Harris said.
A witness to the crash verified Andrews’ account of the accident, Harris said. The witness also stopped and tried to offer assistance to the victims.
County Road 200W was closed while officers from the Hancock County Fatal Accident Crash Team investigated. The investigation is ongoing.
Harris said the accident is a tragic reminder about the dangers of slick roads in winter. He reminded drivers to slow down and use extreme caution when driving on snowy or icy roads.
“Even experienced drivers who drive in adverse conditions all the time can hit that one slick spot they don’t know about, and it can cause a lot of trouble,” Harris said.
County road crews had treated the road where the accident occurred before the crash, said Gary Pool, head of the county highway department.
“The road with the fatality we had actually plowed twice but the salt hadn’t melted (the snow) all the way yet,” Pool said.
