At approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday, emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle crash on State Road 45 North of Eller Road in Monroe County. When first responders arrived it was discovered that one of the vehicles involved was occupied by a Monroe County Sheriffs Deputy. The Deputy was unconscious and unresponsive.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Monroe County Deputy James A. Driver, 38 of Spencer was responding to a call and operating his 2018 Dodge Charger police vehicle with emergency lights and sirens activated. While Deputy Driver was traveling south on SR 45, a 2006 GMC truck and trailer, driven by Christopher A. Derr, 22, of Monticello, IL was traveling north in the area. Derr attempted to stop but lost control of the truck and traveled into the southbound lanes where the trailer collided with Deputy Driver’s vehicle. After the impact, Deputy Driver’s vehicle rolled off the roadway before coming to a stop. The impact caused Deputy Driver to be ejected from the vehicle. Emergency personnel then transported Deputy Driver to IU Health Bloomington Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries from the crash.
Derr and his passengers were not injured in the crash but Derr was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for a voluntary blood draw and the results of those tests are pending.
The investigation is ongoing. SR 45 was closed for approximately 4 ½ hours while troopers investigated the crash.