Shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, two people sustained serious injuries during a crash on State Road 38 east of 226th Street, near Sheridan. Callers reporting the incident told dispatchers the crash left victims trapped inside a burning vehicle.
Members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Crash Team investigating the incident believe a green 2014 Chevrolet Cruze driven by Joseph McNutt, 30, Sheridan, was westbound on State Road 38 when, for unknown reasons, it crossed the centerline. The Cruze struck a 2003 Honda Civic, driven by Danielle Johns, 22, Sheridan, head-on as it was travelling eastbound on State Road 38. Both drivers were initially trapped inside their vehicles, with the Civic on fire as a result of the crash.
Both drivers suffered broken bones and other injuries during the collision. McNutt was taken by ground ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital on 86th Street while Johns was taken by air ambulance to Methodist Hospital. Toxicology test results for alcohol and drugs are pending at this time.
Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter, who happened to be near the location when the call came out, was one of the first people on the scene. Along with Eric Gifford from Sheridan Fire, Michael Foote from Sheridan Police and an unknown passersby, Superintendent Carter assisted in pulling the entrapped driver from the burning Civic. Rescuers barely moved the victim more than six feet from the burning car before it became fully engulfed in flames.
The incident remains under investigation by the Hamilton County Crash Team. Anyone with information regarding the collision should call the team at 317-773-1282.