The Indiana State Police has announced Tuesday afternoon that the names of the driver and passengers in the white 1997 Ford Expedition are being released. Families have been notified.
Driver was Colton J. Watkins, 25 of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Rear seat passenger Nathan Thomas King, 27 of Sumerville, Alabama, was pronounced deceased at the scene and front seat passenger Jarea Michelle Davis Thrower, 19 of Ohio. Information was received at about 1 a.m. Tuesday that the Expedition had been reported stolen out of Huntsville, Alabama on February 16, 2019 and was confirmed by the Huntsville Police Department.
The driver of the 2018 white Chevrolet EXP was Rick Louis Bechman, 57 of Whiteland.
The original release is below.
At approximately 12:52 p.m. Monday on I-74 eastbound near the 34 mile marker (that is US 231/exit 34), a two vehicle crash has claimed the life of two and sent two more to the hospital.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Nelson Davis has revealed that a 1997 Ford Expedition driven by a male driver was westbound on I-74 crossing the US 231 overpass. For an unknown reason lost control, traveled through the median and slid sideways across the eastbound lanes into the bath of a white 2018 Chevrolet EXP. The Chevrolet t-boned the Expedition on the driver’s side. Both vehicles came to rest in the left lane of I-74.
The backseat passenger of the Expedition was pronounced deceased at the scene. The two front seat passengers were transported to Franciscan Hospital in Crawfordsville where the driver succumbed to his injuries. The passenger was treated and then transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis with serious injuries. No one in the Expedition appeared to be wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
The driver of the Chevrolet was pinned inside of his vehicle. He had to be extricated and then transported directly to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis with unknown injuries. Seat belt was in use at the time of the crash.
The crash is still under investigation. I-74 eastbound was closed for about three hours for cleanup, investigation of the crash and care for the injured. Names of the occupants of both vehicles will not be released until families have been notified.
Re-constructionist from the Indiana State Police are assisting in the investigation.