Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an off-road vehicle (ORV) accident that occurred April 7 in Posey County.
Posey County Central Dispatch received a 911 call at 4:28 p.m. about an ORV accident near the intersection of Hidbrader Road and Lang Road in New Harmony.
Indiana Conservation Officer Keith Wildeman responded to the scene, where the operator of the ORV was trapped underneath the ORV. Wildeman, with the assistance of bystanders, got the ORV off of the operator.
Initial investigation showed that the ORV was being driven Patricia Word, 56, of New Harmony.
She was traveling westbound on Hidbrader Road, pulling a trailer, when she lost control, overturning the ORV. A registered nurse who made the 911 call rendered aid until the ambulance arrived.
Word was transported to Deaconess Hospital Midtown with head and spine injuries. She remains in the hospital in critical condition.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Helmets and protective riding gear were not being worn at the time of the accident. Indiana Conservation Officers recommend using all available safety equipment, and Indiana law requires anyone under 18 who is operator or passenger on an ORV to wear a helmet. For more information on ORV safety, see offroad-ed.com/indiana.
Assisting agencies from Indiana included Wadesville Fire Department, Posey EMS, Posey County Sheriff’s Department, and New Harmony Fire Department.
