Indianapolis Man Injured in Morning Crash

Bunker Hill - This morning, at approximately 6:25 a.m., Indiana State Police Master Trooper Ron Whitney, while on routine patrol, drove upon a two vehicle crash at U.S. 31 and State Road 218 (south junction), which injured an Indianapolis, IN, man.

Preliminary investigation by Master Trooper Whitney revealed Earl Chupp, 20, Kokomo, IN, was driving a 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck northbound on U.S. 31 near State Road 218 (south junction). Chupp was traveling at a slow rate of speed after having just entered U.S. 31 from the parking lot of a gas station.  The Chevrolet was struck in the rear by a northbound 2010 Freightliner box truck driven by Jacobo Velasco, 32, Indianapolis, IN. A 16 foot long, 2 inches by 4 inches, piece of wood, which was in the bed of the Chevrolet pickup truck, went through the windshield of the Freightliner striking Velasco in the neck. The piece of wood continued through the rear window of the Freightliner and became embedded in the box compartment, damaging some of the produce inside. The Freightliner came to rest in a ditch on the eastside of U.S. 31, after having struck a fence. The Chevrolet came to rest in the grass median of U.S. 31

Master Trooper Whitney immediately called for a helicopter to land at the crash scene due to the severe trauma Velasco had to his neck. Velasco had to be extricated from his vehicle by fire department personnel. He was then flown from the crash scene by Lutheran Air Ambulance Helicopter to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN. Velasco had surgery to his neck and is currently listed in good condition. Neither Chupp nor his passenger was injured in the crash.

Northbound U.S. 31 was closed or reduced to one lane for approximately four hours for debris clean up, crash investigation, and the off loading of the produce in the Freightliner.

Assisting Master Trooper Whitney at the crash scene were I.S.P Lieutenant Matt Bilkey, Master Trooper Earl McCullough, officers from the I.S.P. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Miami County Sheriff’s Deputy John Jumper, officers from the Bunker Hill Marshall’s Office, the Grissom Fire Department, the Pipe Creek Township Fire Department, Miami County EMS, and Miami County EMA.