Ind. Trooper Hit While Investigating Crash

Feb. 4, 2011
An Indiana state trooper and two people from northern Kentucky were among six injured in a crash on Tuesday morning.

SHELBY COUNTY, Ind. --

An Indiana state trooper and two people from northern Kentucky were among six injured in a crash on Tuesday morning.

The state police said Trooper Jesse Schmidt responded to a single-vehicle crash on I-74 in the median at the 121 mile marker in Shelby County just after 8 a.m.

Troopers said Beverly Mata, 28, of Elsmere Ky., was driving a sport utility vehicle westbound at Conns Creek when she lost control and slid into the median.

While Schmidt was investigating the accident, another car, driven by Raquel Gonzalaz, 29, of Ashland, Ky. lost control, slid into the median striking Schmidt, Beverly Mata and a front seat passenger from Mata's car, Antonio Mata.

Beverly Mata was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with severe internal injuries and was listed in stable condition. Antonio Mata, 33, of Elsmere Ky., was transported to Majors Hospital in Shelbyville with head injuries.

Gonzalaz and her two passengers, Christina Gonzalaz and Vicente Garcia, were transported to Majors Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Schmidt was transported to Majors Hospital where he was treated and release for pain to his back.

Troopers and emergency workers closed westbound I-74 for approximately three hours while investigators worked to reconstruct the crash.

Light freezing rain had been falling in the area and could be a contributing factor to the conditions of the bridge pavement, troopers said.

Copyright 2011 by WLWT.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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