HENDRICKS COUNTY, Indiana, Oct. 21, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Indiana State Police are reporting that a 19-year-old man from Woods Cross, Utah, died today in a four-vehicle crash in Hendricks County.
The young man has been identified as Jace D. Roeder, whose father, Matthew Roeder, of Peoria, Arizona, was the driver of one of the vehicles.
At about 12:49 p.m., Indiana State Police and area emergency agencies responded to the crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 at Mile Marker 59, according to a news release from the state police.
The preliminary investigation shows that a westbound semi-trailer, driven by 51-year-old Kenneth B. Gieger Jr., of Princeton, Indiana, failed to slow for traffic that was slowing for an IDOT work area near the scene, the release states. The semi then rear-ended a Ford rental box truck driven by Matthew Roeder, 39.
The impact forced the box truck into the rear of a Bluebird school bus driven by Wendell R. Clay, 52, of Richland, Missouri.
The semi continued to veer left, colliding with a Chevrolet van driven by Mark G. Stewart, 51, of St. Louis, Missouri. The impact forced the van into the inner barrier cables.
Jace D. Roeder was riding with his father and died at the scene.
Geiger and Matthew Roeder were transported to area hospitals for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. Clay and Stewart reported no injuries.
Geiger was cited for following too close.
The school bus had 23 high school students and five adults on board and was returning to Missouri from a Future Farmers of America Conference in Indianapolis.
Seven teenage students complained of pain and were transported to area hospitals as a precaution. The remaining students and adults were taken by bus to a nearby school to await transportation back to Missouri.
Both westbound lanes of I-70 were reopened at 4:23 p.m. Traffic was rerouted in the meantime.
According to the news release, drugs and/or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash at this time.
