Speed limit slashed after fatal Plainfield crash
PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The newly reduced 45 mph speed limit on U.S. 40 aims to improve safety after a tragic incident, the Indiana Department of Transportation says.
Blake Dollier, public relations director for INDOT’s west central district, said Wednesday, “This isn’t construction where you see that speed limit reduced maybe to 45 or something of that nature for the part-time when our workers are out there. This is a permanent change, and this change is going to be here to stay.”
The speed limit reduction — from just east of Ventura Boulevard to just west of Vandalia Boulevard and Mecklenburg Drive — follows a deadly crash in August involving a Plainfield police officer along U.S. 40. Officer Logan Westerfield collided with a car just 5 miles from the new speed limit zone, and 78-year-old Barbara Williams and 79-year-old Bennie Williams died in the crash. Westerfield in October resigned from the police force.
Dollier said, “Believe it or not, in this area, while it’s 55 right now, we’ve still seen an increase in pedestrian traffic. We have some neighborhoods and stores in that area, so as we look into this, we see the need arising in this area, and we need to make sure we’re staying ahead of the curve.”
The Hendricks County town of Plainfield grew from 34,905 residents in 2020 to more than 37,000 in 2023. The speed limit reduction on U.S. 40 aims to proactively enhance safety given Plainfield’s ongoing growth and future development plans, INDOT says.
Dollier said, “While in this case, we’ve looked in this area and have seen the need coming for quite a while, of course, anytime something happens, we do look into that and try to make sure that we keep all of our motorists and pedestrians on our roadways safe.
“Just remember to please slow down, buckle up, and put your cellphones down because that is important when saving lives and being safe and courteous to other drivers out on the roadway.”
