SUV strikes tanker on U.S. 50

A westbound SUV crossed the center line and struck an eastbound tanker hauling ethanol Monday morning between Brownstown and Seymour.

The driver of the Jeep SUV, which carried a Jackson County license plate, was trapped inside. Firefighters from Seymour and Brownstown worked to free the woman, who was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour for treatment, Jackson County Sheriff Marc Lahrman said at the scene.

Her name was not available.

Lahrman said witnesses to the crash said the Jeep was seen driving erratically from Hangman’s Crossing on Seymour’s west side, running with its flashers on.

“We don’t know what was going on with her,” Lahrman said.

Traffic was expected to remain tied up during cleanup of the wreck. A tanker was en route to the scene to remove ethanol from the tanker being driven by Steven Kennedy, 56, of Newton, Ill. A dump truck driven by Joseph C. Day, 65, of North Vernon was damaged by debris from the wreck.

Day was following Kennedy’s tanker.

Neither Day nor Kennedy was hurt, Officer Mike Carothers said.

Carothers said he the wreck could have been much worse, given the contents of Kennedy’s tanker — 8,000 gallons of ethanol, which was en route to Seymour.

“We could have had a regular war zone out of this,” Carothers said.

Day said he didn’t know how Kennedy kept the tanker upright.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Day said.

Kennedy, who declined to discuss how the wreck unfolded, quickly offered an explanation for bringing the tanker to a safe stop.

“The good Lord was with me,” Kennedy said with a smile. “I get asked a lot if I worry about hauling all this ethanol, but I was always tell them, ‘No, the good Lord’s in charge of my life.’”

For the full story, see Tuesday’s edition of The Tribune and watch Tribtown.com for updates.