GREENWOOD, Ind. – Indiana State Police (ISO) troopers were called to a serious single-vehicle accident on northbound I-65 near the 96-mile marker, six miles north of the Franklin exit, on Sunday, just after 9:30 a.m. Early reports indicated a car ran off the road and struck a tree.
First responders found two unresponsive female passengers inside the car, along with the driver who was conscious and alert. Despite life-saving efforts, Cearmease Evans, 52, and Chaise Franklin, 17, both of Chicago, were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Johnson County Coroner Mike Pruitt said both victims sustained traumatic injuries in the crash. The driver was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The initial report from ISP crash reconstructionists revealed a Jeep ran off the road into the ditch on the right side of the road and then impacted several trees on the vehicle’s passenger side. Evans was in the front passenger seat and Franklin was in the rear seat.
Authorities are still trying to determine what caused the Jeep to leave the interstate. The right two lanes of I-65 were restricted for several hours. The accident investigation continues.
