Jasper County-An unidentified woman was hit and killed on I-65 south bound at the 204 mile marker (this is one mile south of the Remington exit) at approximately 2:30 a.m., Sunday morning.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Nicole Maenza revealed a 2007 Mercury Sable, driven by a Rahsul Valentine, 26 of Lafayette, Indiana, was south bound in the left lane when he hit something with his passenger side. This caused Valentine to lose control, go off the roadway onto the outer shoulder and down into a ditch. Valentine thought he had hit a deer but struck a person who was thrown up into the passenger side windshield and came to rest on the inner shoulder. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene by the Chief Deputy with the Jasper County Coroner’s Office.
Valentine and his passenger were not injured. Valentine was found to have three active warrants for Failure to Appear for Domestic Battery/Criminal Recklessness through Howard County/Kokomo, Operating as a Habitual Traffic Violator (HTV) through Madison County/Anderson, and Operating HTV/Resisting Law Enforcement through Lafayette Police Department. Valentine was also cited by Trooper Maenza for Operating as a HTV and Operator Never Licensed. Valentine was taken and incarcerated at the Jasper County Jail in Rensselaer. Toxicology is pending.
The unidentified female had no identification, purse, or other belongings with her. A search of the area did not find any car that was left unattended or broke down. It is unknown how she came to be walking in the roadway. She has been identified as a black female, with cornrowed hair, possibly in her 20’s, weighing less than 100 pounds, wearing a strapless summer dress, no footwear, and had several tattoos (i.e. one on her right thigh and upper back near her shoulders). The Jasper County Coroner will be doing an autopsy tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in Demotte. They will also being sending out a more detailed news release on her. Anyone with any information on this unidentified female please call Jasper County Coroner’s Chief Deputy Andy Boersma at 219-863-3560 or the Indiana State Police at 219-696-6242.
All south bound traffic was being diverted off at the 205 mile marker and entering back on at the 201 mile marker, roadway was reopened just after 8:00 a.m. This was necessary for the reconstruction of the crash, removal of the deceased and vehicle.
Assisting: ISP reconstructionist Trooper Paul Arnold, Jasper County Coroner, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Jasper County Fire and EMS, Indiana Department of Transportation, ISP Lafayette Post troopers, and Cheever’s Towing
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
