INDIANAPOLIS — A crash involving two semis left one person dead and caused I-69 northbound to be closed for several hours Saturday evening.
Delaware County Dispatch received a report of a crash near the 250 mile-marker of Interstate 69, near the rest park, at 5:16 p.m. They contacted the Indiana State Police for assistance.
Upon arrival, officers found a heavily damaged Red Freightliner semi tractor-trailer. The damaged Freightliner had rear ended another Freightliner semi tractor-trailer that was stopped in traffic.
The driver of the damaged Freightliner, identified as Darrell Kositzke, 65, of Michigan, was entrapped in the wreckage, and was unconscious and unresponsive.
Kositzke was pronounced dead at the scene by the Delaware County Coroner.
The driver of the other semi tractor-trailer, identified as Clyde Jackson, 58, of Michigan, was transported to IU Ball Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.
A preliminary investigation shows the semi tractor-trailer driven by Jackson slowed and stopped due to a backup caused by construction and was rear ended by the other Freightliner driven by Kositzke.
Police say Kositzke was distracted at the time of the crash.
Northbound lanes of I-69 were closed, and traffic was rerouted into the northbound rest park.
