An early morning crash on I-65 near Henryville claimed the life of an Austin man on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
Killed was Matthew Shannon Campbell, 55, of Austin.
According to Indiana State Police Sgt. Carey Huls, around 1:45 a.m., first responders and emergency personnel were called to a three-vehicle crash on I-65 near the 21-mile-marker. The crash closed all northbound lanes of the interstate, and officers diverted traffic off onto the Henryville exit until approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Following the preliminary investigation from ISP crash reconstruction technicians, officers believe a White Dodge pickup truck was traveling northbound on I-65 while pulling a flatbed trailer loaded with large, industrial air-conditioning units.
One of the air-conditioning units fell off the trailer near the 21-mile marker, and a northbound Chevrolet Malibu driven by Campbell collided with the air-conditioner before the pickup driver could remove it from the roadway.
“Shortly after this collision, a northbound UPS semi-truck changed lanes to avoid striking the Malibu; tragically, Campbell exited the vehicle at the exact moment and was struck and killed by the semi,” Huls reported.
Matthew S. Campbell, 55, of Austin, died Tuesday, September 12, 2023. He was a truck driver for Allstates World Cargo of Louisville and was a veteran of the Army National Guard.
He was born on June 6, 1968, in Seymour, to the late Luther Dean Campbell and Nannie Jean (Cooper) Campbell-Davisson, who survives in Scott County.
Other survivors include a daughter, Samantha (Michael) Hart of Salem; a son, Shannon Campbell of California; and a sister, Deana (Stephen) Schafer of Scottsburg.
The funeral was conducted Sept. 15 from Collins Funeral Home in Scottsburg with Matthew Craig officiating. Cremation following the funeral was entrusted to Collins.