ISP: Motorcyclist dies in multivehicle crash on I-70 in Hancock County

MOUNT COMFORT, Ind. (WISH) — A motorcyclist died early Sunday morning after a serious multivehicle crash involving a semi truck that caught fire, closing all lanes of I-70 for roughly seven hours early Saturday, the Indiana State Police said in a news release.

Emergency crews responded at 11:59 p.m. Saturday to the scene of the crash in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the 97-mile marker. That’s a mile east of the Mount Comfort exit in Hancock County.

A semi truck that was involved in the crash caught fire closing both eastbound and westbound lanes.

First responders found Mark Webster, 47, of Richmond, lying in the roadway. He died at the scene.

Investigators believe a pickup truck pulling a car trailer had broken down in the right lane of I-70, where no emergency shoulders exist due to construction.

Webster’s motorcycle struck the back of the car trailer and was ejected into the left lane. Another eastbound car then struck the motorcycle and the motorcyclist. Shortly after the second impact, the semitractor-trailer struck the motorcycle causing it and the semi to catch fire. The driver of the semi truck got out of the vehicle prior to the fire.

The drivers of the semi and the pickup were not injured.

The eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed for roughly seven hours while the crash was investigated and the wreckage was removed.

The westbound lanes were closed while the semi truck was engulfed in flames.

The westbound lanes were reopened at 1:55 a.m. Saturday.