INDIANAPOLIS/GREENFIELD — Two men died after separate crashes within five hours of each other on Central Indiana interstates Saturday night.
Around 7:15 p.m., Indiana State Police say John Byers, 40, of Indianapolis drove off the road and struck a construction sign on the left side of the highway near the 3.2 mile marker of I-465.
Troopers do not know why Byers drove off the road and his motorcycle was the only vehicle involved. Byers died at the scene.
Just before midnight, troopers say a semi and motorcycle caught on fire after a multiple vehicle crash on I-70 near the 97 mile marker.
Preliminary information has led investigators to believe a pick-up truck pulling a car trailer had broken down in the right lane of I-70, where there are no emergency shoulders in this area due to construction. A motorcyclist 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 a semi-tractor trailer struck the motorcycle in the roadway, and both vehicles eventually caught fire.
The driver of the motorcycle, 47-year-old Mark Webster of Richmond died at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
The eastbound lanes of I-70 were closed for approximately seven hours as a result of the crash.
On Thursday night, another fatal crash on I-70 near Mount Comfort Road caused traffic delays for more than six hours.
