Pike County, IN (August 29, 2026) – Two people were killed and four juveniles were critically injured in a rollover crash on State Road 64 at County Road 1000 East, near the unincorporated community of Stendal, according to Indiana State Police.
State police said the crash happened on the evening of August 29 and involved two cars.
The highway was completely shut down as a result of the crash and has since reopened.
Indiana State Police said crash reconstruction investigators are working to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the crash. Police said the identities of those involved were not being released at that time.
Relatives have since publicly identified the two people who died as a woman and her 8-year-old daughter, and have said the group was returning to Pike County from a Girl Scout outing. Authorities have not officially confirmed the identities.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Fatal Multi-Vehicle Crashes in Pike County, Indiana
Indiana State Police have not said what caused this crash or who was at fault. The answers will come from the reconstruction, and families do not have to wait passively while it runs.
- What reconstruction investigators examine: the resting positions of both cars, crush and rollover patterns, tire and roadway marks, event data recorders in each vehicle, and occupant and restraint positioning
- What families can request: the completed ISP crash report, the reconstruction file once it is finished, and any scene photographs the agency retains
- What should be preserved: both vehicles, before insurers total them and send them to salvage, along with the child safety seats and restraints from each car
- What to hold off on: recorded statements or paperwork from any insurance company while the reconstruction is still open
Indiana handles wrongful death through more than one statute, and which one applies changes what a family can recover. Most competitors on this topic never mention the distinction.
- The general wrongful death statute (IC 34-23-1-1) governs the claim for an adult who leaves a spouse or dependents
- The child wrongful death statute (IC 34-23-2-1) is separate, and it allows a parent to recover for the loss of a child’s love and companionship, which the general statute does not provide in the same way
Both carry a two-year deadline. For this crash, that date is August 29, 2028.
Because fault has not been determined, Indiana’s modified comparative fault standard controls. A family may still recover provided their loved one is found less than 51 percent at fault.
Contact Our Indiana Fatal Crash Attorneys
Two families in Pike County are planning funerals while four more sit beside hospital beds waiting for their children to improve. Nothing written here changes any of that, and none of it needs to be dealt with this week.
When the time comes, an Indiana car accident lawyer can explain which of Indiana’s wrongful death statutes applies to each person who was lost, because the answer differs for an adult and for a child. Langer & Langer has walked Indiana families through that distinction since 1980.
The one practical thing worth doing soon is asking that both cars be held rather than salvaged. Once they are crushed, the reconstruction cannot be checked or challenged by anyone outside the agency.
There is never a charge to talk with us, and no family owes us anything unless we recover for them.
Why Indiana families trust Langer & Langer:
- Founded 1980, over 45 years serving Indiana families
- 100+ years of combined legal experience
- Recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, American College of Trial Lawyers
