Putnam County—This afternoon at 1:30, Indiana State Police and Putnam County emergency agencies responded to a two-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the 42 mile marker.
Preliminary investigation revealed that 49-year-old Jonathan Nichols-Pethick of Terre Haute, IN., was westbound in his 2006 Toyota when he reportedly fell asleep and traveled into the median. Nichols-Pethic then overcorrected, traveled back into the westbound lanes, and skidded broadside into a westbound tractor-trailer. The 2015 Freightliner tractor, driven by 43-year-old Mark Bishop of Cheney, Kansas, then struck the passenger car and both vehicles impacted the guardrail.
Nichols-Pethick was transported to Putnam County Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries reported. Nichols-Pethick was cited for left of center when no permitted.
Crash was investigated by ISP Trooper Mike Wood. Assisting were ISP Sergeant Cory Robinson and Troopers James Crisp and Yan Dravigne, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Cloverdale Police and Fire, and Putnam County Operation Life Paramedics.
