HANCOCK COUNTY — Deputies with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department are trying to learn what caused a head-on crash Friday afternoon, March 20, that sent an Indianapolis man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Skylar B. King, Indianapolis, is listed in serious condition at IU Methodist Hospital, investigators said. He was driving a 1986 Ford F150 pickup that collided with a large flatbed truck. The driver of the flatbed, Kevin Odell, 70, Greenfield, was uninjured in the crash. Odell is cooperating with investigators and is not suspected of being impaired, said Capt. Robert Harris, public information officer for the sheriff’s department.
The accident occurred just north of U.S. 40 and County Road 600W at approximately 1:25 p.m.
Several witnesses told deputies the flatbed was northbound on 600W when the southbound pickup crossed the center line and into the path of the much bigger truck.
King was trapped in the pickup and was not responsive when the emergency call was made. Photos take at the scene by sheriff’s investigators show the front of his truck completely smashed in. Evidence at the scene supports witness accounts of the crash, Harris said.
Harris noted the flatbed, a 2005 GMC model, was fitted with a crane used to deliver roofing material to job sites. The truck was loaded with pallets of roofing material when the accident occurred.
King was transported by ambulance to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where a full update on his condition had yet to be reported as of 4:45 p.m.
Evidence at the scene led investigators to suspect drugs, associated with King, may have been a factor in the crash. However, the investigation is ongoing.
Officers from the Hancock County Fatal Accident Crash Team were on the scene and are conducting the investigation.
This story will be updated as developments warrant.
