Icy roads bring crashes, restricting interstate traffic

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Multiple crashes occurred after snow and strong winds returned to central Indiana on Tuesday night. 

About 20 minutes before 11 p.m., three more significant crashes were reported in the Indianapolis area:

  • A jackknifed semitractor-trailer was blocking all lanes of I-865 westbound on the northwest side. That was expected to be closed through about 3 a.m. Wednesday, Indiana Department of Transportation said. 
  • An accident closed the left lane of I-70 eastbound between Olney Street and the Emerson Avenue exit on the southeast side. That was expected to reopen by midnight Tuesday. 
  • A crash blocked the two left lanes of I-465 northbound between the U.S. 52/Brookville Road exit and English Avenue. That was expected to reopen by 1 a.m. Wednesday. 

Earlier Tuesday night, here were some of the more signficant crashes:

  • In Indianapolis, the left four lanes of I-465 northbound between Lafayette Road and the West 71st Street were closed after as semitractor-trailer driver lost control, struck a concrete barrier wall and was ejected. Troopers on the scene said they believed the driver was going too fast for the road conditions. The driver was taken to a hospital with injuries considered not to be life-theatening. By 10:45 p.m., the I-465 accident had been cleared, police said.
  • In Brownsburg, at least two vehicles crashed on I-74 westbound on the overpass for State Road 267/Green Street, according to the local fire department. There were no injuries. 
  • In Lafayette, another crash involving a semitractor-trailer left downed power lines and closed I-65 in both direcftions about a mile north of Lafayette, between Tippecanoe County Road E. 200 North and the State Road 25 exit. By 9:45 p.m., the southbound lanes had reopened, but the northbound lanes remained closed. Indiana  State Police did not indicate whether anyone was hurt in the crash. By 10 p.m., northbound lane had reopened.
  • In Boone County, authorities reported multiple slide-offs on I-74 west of the State Road 75 exit. The sheriff’s office also reported a vehicle collision with injury on I-65 southbound about 2 miles before the State Road 267 exit.