A fiery chain-reaction crash Wednesday morning on Interstate 65 in northern Jackson County left three people dead.
Those killed in the wreck, reported shortly after 10 a.m. near the 54-mile-marker, were Glenn Cardellli, 57, and his wife, Kathryn L. Cardelli, 57, both of Minocqua, Wisconsin, and John W. Mumma, 67, of Philo, Illinois.
Police said the wreck in the southbound lanes involved five vehicles, including a recreational vehicle driven by Glenn Cardelli and semitrailers driven by Roger E. Woody, 46, of Mooresboro, North Carolina, and Anatoliy M. Petrov, 43, of Park Ridge, Illinois.
The wreck created major traffic woes as southbound I-65 was closed for nearly 11 hours for cleanup, according to a news release from Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police Post at Versailles. Northbound lanes were closed for about two hours after the wreck.
Wheeles, the post’s public information officer, said southbound traffic was detoured off the interstate at the Walesboro exit in Bartholomew County onto State Road 11 and U.S. 31. The wreck also created traffic jams on Seymour’s east side well into the evening hours.
Wheeles said the wreck began when a semitrailer driven by Cameron R. Haskett, 28, of Halethrope, Maryland, slowed in the left lane due to slowed traffic in a construction area.
Mumma, who was driving a 2009 GMC Sierra behind Haskett, also slowed and as did Glenn Cardelli, who was trailing Mumma in his motorhome, Wheeles said.
He said Woody failed to slow for the stopped traffic and hit the rear of Cardelli’s RV, pushing it into Mumma’s vehicle. Mumma’s vehicle was then pushed into the rear of Haskett’s trailer.
Wheeles said Woody’s semitrailer also hit Petrov’s semitrailer that was traveling south in the right lane of I-65. Both semitrailers caught fire, which led to the extensive cleanup effort.
None of the other motorists were injured in the crash, investigated by Trooper Matt Holley and the post’s crash reconstruction team, Wheeles said.
The crash remains under the investigation, Wheeles said. Toxicology results are pending at this time.
The fire was extinguished by firefighters from Redding Township, Jackson-Washington Township, Hamilton Township and Seymour Fire departments.
Jackson County and Seymour officers also assisted at the scene and with traffic control.
Others assisting at the scene including Jackson County Emergency Medical Services personnel along with personnel from the coroner’s office and 31 Wrecker Service.