Logansport, IN – A trailer carrying heavy equipment jackknifed on U.S. 35 in Cass County Wednesday afternoon, injuring two people and closing the highway for approximately 90 minutes.
According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews responded at about 2:05 p.m. to U.S. 35 south of Delaware Road after dispatchers received a report of a two-vehicle crash with entrapment.
A preliminary investigation found that 77-year-old Gene Myers of rural Kokomo was driving a 2017 Ram pickup southbound when the tandem-axle trailer he was pulling began to sway and jackknifed, authorities said.
The Case tractor and backhoe loaded on the trailer partially detached before striking a northbound 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe, according to investigators.
The Hyundai’s driver, 63-year-old Ruth VanMeter of Lakewood, Colorado, sustained serious injuries. She was flown by medical helicopter to a trauma center in Fort Wayne.
A passenger in the Hyundai, 54-year-old David Sanders of Aurora, Colorado, was transported to Parkview Logansport with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
Myers and his passenger, Diana Myers, declined medical treatment at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
The crash blocked U.S. 35 while deputies investigated and crews removed the damaged vehicles. The highway was closed for about 1½ hours before reopening.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities said alcohol is not believed to have contributed to the crash.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 574-753-7800.
