A Crothersville Police Officer was airlifted from a crash site on I-65 early last Friday morning when his squad car was struck in the rear by a semi tractor-trailer, according to Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of the Indiana State Police
The initial investigation by the ISP Crash Investigation Response Team indicated two Crothersville Police Officers were providing traffic control for a highway maintenance crew that was working on I-65.
Shortly before 6 am, the two officers had pulled onto I-65 Northbound near the 44 mile marker north of Uniontown. The police vehicles were blocking both northbound lanes of I-65 with their emergency lights activated.
Officer Michael A. Weiler, 45, of Brownstown, a five year veteran of the Crothersville Police Department, was in the right lane in a fully marked 2007 Ford Crown Victoria. He and Chief of Police Matt Browning were providing traffic control.
A 2020 International semi pulling a trailer, driven by Harvest L. Beacham, 37, of Indianapolis, collided with the rear of Weiler’s vehicle. Weiler’s vehicle was pushed off the east side of the roadway where it overturned, coming to rest on its top. Beacham’s vehicle entered the median where it collided with the cable barrier before coming to a stop.
Officer Weiler was extricated from his vehicle before being flown from the scene to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, for treatment of serious injuries. Beacham was uninjured in the crash.
Weiler, who is also the pastor of the New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Brownstown and a member of the Brownstown Volunteer Fire Department, was listed in serious but stable condition as of newspaper deadline..
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors although toxicology results are pending, Wheeles said.