A semitrailer was going 72 mph when it crashed into a car that had slowed for an Indiana highway construction zone, killing four young siblings, authorities said.
The truck’s driver, Corey R. Withrow, 31, of Camden, Ohio, has been charged by Wayne County prosecutors with felony counts of driving while intoxicated causing death and reckless homicide for Thursday’s deadly crash on Interstate 70 in eastern Indiana.
A state trooper who evaluated Withrow determined he was under the influence of cannabis and a strong central nervous system stimulant, making him unable to safely drive, according to charging documents filed in court. The truck’s speed came from its GPS information, while witnesses told police the truck didn’t slow down before the crash.
The car was pushed into another semitrailer and burst into flames. A passerby was able to pull the car’s driver, Aaron Bruce, 34, of Kansas City, Missouri, from the vehicle and he was taken to an Indianapolis hospital with severe injuries.
Those killed in the crash were identified as Anesa Noel Acosta, 15; Quintin Michael McGowan, 13; Brekkin Riley Bruce, 8; and Trentin Beau Bruce, 6. Aaron Bruce is the father of the two younger children and stepfather of the two others, state police spokesman Sgt. John Bowling said.
Court records on Tuesday did not list an attorney representing Withrow and a phone number to contact him for comment couldn’t immediately be found.
This article was first published in NWI Times.
