Man dies after I-65 crash in Jasper County

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – A Medaryville man died after he was ejected during a car crash on Interstate 65 Wednesday night in Jasper County.

According to a release from Indiana State Police, troopers responded to a crash that occurred on the interstate about 1½ miles north of the Demotte/Roselawn exit.

The crash happened about 9:17 p.m.

Zachary Vetter, 25, of Crown Point was driving south on the interstate and attempted to enter a rest area. Vetter was traveling at a high rate of speed when he avoided making a turn where the road splits to divide cars and semi traffic to each side of the rest area. Vetter struck a large sign on the driver’s side, according to the release.

Vetter’s car broke the poles of the sign and began to roll down a ditch. The car rolled out of the ditch and stopped near the entrance lane for cars.

State police said the passenger, Nicholas Vega, 26, was ejected at some point.

Vega was located near the rear tires of a semi parked in the first slot in the lane dedicated to semis and trucks. The poles from the sign Vetter’s car struck also hit the parked semi.

Vega died at the scene. The Jasper County coroner ruled the cause massive blunt force trauma.

He was not wearing a seat belt.

Vetter was still in the car when police arrived. His seat belt was cut off, and he was removed from the vehicle and taken to a hospital in Illinois by ambulance with injuries that were not life-threatening, ISP said.

A German shepherd was also in the car. According to ISP, the dog kept watch over Vega until Jasper County Animal Control came to get it. The German shepherd was not injured.