Fortville man dies in I-65 crash in Boone County

Crash investigators from the Indiana State Police are investigating a crash that claimed one life Thursday morning on Interstate 65 in Boone County.

At 8:39 a.m., a Trooper came upon the aftermath of a serious crash on I-65 southbound near the 149-mile marker, just south of the Clinton/Boone county line. The Trooper requested emergency assistance and reported possible fatal injuries. The driver of a 2007 Ford was entrapped in the vehicle and unresponsive. Firefighters and paramedics arrived on scene and, despite lifesaving efforts, Steven Gilreath Jr., 36, Fortville, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

There were no other injuries reported in this crash.

Preliminary investigation by State Police crash reconstructionists determined traffic in the area was backed up and had come to a stop. The 2007 Ford struck the rear end of a stopped semi tractor-trailer in the left lane.

The circumstances of this crash are still under investigation and there is no further information at this time. All southbound lanes were closed for nearly three hours while the crash was investigated and the wreckage was removed.

Indiana State Police was assisted by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Boone County Coroner, and the Thorntown Fire Department.