INDIANAPOLIS – Multiple people are in serious condition after a head on collision at the intersection of East 38th Street and Layman Avenue on Indy’s northeast side early Sunday afternoon.
The collision happened just before 12:30 pm Sunday when a black pickup truck traveling on 38th Street hit a white Lincoln mostly full of juveniles head on as they were turning on to Layman Avenue.
Two adults, including the 25-year-old man behind the wheel of the speeding pick up truck, were taken to the hospital in critical or serious conditions.
Six children were also transported to hospitals and one girl was listed in critical condition, the others in serious conditions.
Witnesses say the male driver was driving at a high rate of speed and swerving in and out of traffic before colliding with the other vehicle.
Jeffrey Mathis and Kenneth Allen were eastbound on East 38th Street Sunday afternoon when a Dodge Ram 1500 pick up blasted past them.
“We got to 38th and Emerson and the gray pick up truck shot past us weaving in and out of traffic at a pretty high rate of speed,” said Mathis, “and as we were turning on to my street, we said, ‘That guy’s gonna have an accident,’ and as soon as the words came out of our mouth, bam!”
“Had the driver not been driving at the speed that he was driving and probably paying attention,” said Allen, “maybe he wouldn’t have hit the vehicle. The vehicle had the turn signal on. It was their turn to go southbound.”
Inside a white Lincoln was a woman and six children.
The crash demolished their car.
“I saw a young lady laying prostrate on the ground and seemed to be in a lot of pain, possibly even pregnant, so, she was in a lot of serious pain,” said Allen. “There was several people loaded onto ambulances and children, several children, it was unfortunate to see them hurt in our city.”
IMPD Public Information Officer Patrolman William Young said the crash occurring on a holiday weekend with hundreds of thousands of race fans on the road for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 500 Mile Race should serve as a reminder to motorists to slow down and stay alive.
“We have a lot of visitors here in the Circle City. A lot of people who live here in general. Its starting to get warmer. We want folks to slow down. Take your time,” he said.
An investigation is ongoing and this story will be updated when new information is made available.
