RICHMOND, Ind. — Five people were hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash in Richmond Sunday morning.
According to a Facebook post from the Richmond Police Department, around 8:59 a.m., officers were sent to the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and 16th Street after 911 dispatchers received multiple reports that indicated a crash had occurred in the area.
As RPD began its investigation, it determined a 2012 Chevrolet Colorado, a 2020 Jeep Compass and an orange Honda Element were involved in the crash. All three of the vehicle’s drivers injured during the incident. Two juveniles, who police believe were riding in the Element, were also hurt.
All five of the injured subjects were transported from the scene to Reid Hospital in Richmond with non-life-threatening injuries.
After an examination of video footage and interviews with witnesses, police determined the driver of the Colorado was travelling westbound on U.S. Highway 40 at a high rate of speed before the crash. The driver of the Colorado subsequently rear-ended the Element near the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and 17th Street.
RPD reported that the impact caused the Element to spin and collide with the Compass, which was travelling in the right lane. The Compass then veered off the road and struck a building.
The crash also caused the Element to flip on its driver’s side in the roadway. At the end of the crash, the Colorado had spun out and struck a different building than the one the Compass hit.
According to RPD, the driver of the Colorado was possibly intoxicated at the time of the crash. Police will be forwarding the findings their investigation yields to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review. The prosecutor will ultimately determine whether or not any charges will be brought against the driver of the Colorado.
RPD’s SBI (serious bodily injury) and fatal crash investigation team responded to the incident, as did the agency’s drone unit, which was called to the area for mapping an measurement purposes. Indiana State Police’s SBI and fatal crash investigation unit also provided RPD with assistance during its investigation.
