Decatur, IN (October 22, 2026) – A 49-year-old Ohio man was critically injured when a semi struck the back of his car at State Road 27 (N. 13th St.) and Winchester Road in Decatur, according to Indiana State Police (ISP).
ISP said the crash happened just before 9 a.m. on October 22. A 2012 Mini Cooper traveling north on US-27 slowed and stopped in the right lane as it approached Winchester Road. Emergency vehicles were stopped on Winchester Road just west of US-27 to slow southbound traffic.
ISP said a 2024 Peterbilt tractor pulling a semi-trailer, also traveling north, struck the rear of the Mini Cooper. The Mini Cooper’s driver, Jason Ward, 49, of Ohio City, Ohio, was critically injured and taken to a local hospital. The Peterbilt’s 30-year-old driver, from Hartford City, Indiana, was not injured.
The ISP Area II Critical Incident Reconstruction Team and the ISP Commercial Motor Vehicle Division are investigating. The Decatur Police Department, Decatur Fire Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, and Adams County EMS assisted ISP.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Semi Crash Law in Indiana: What Applies Here
The Indiana University Public Policy Institute’s Indiana Crash Facts 2024 counted 17,514 large trucks among the vehicles in Indiana collisions that year, about 5 percent of the total. A crash with a commercial truck involves more parties and more records than an ordinary collision.
- First steps: Get the ISP crash report, write down the carrier name and USDOT number from the truck’s cab door, and keep every medical bill.
- Who may be liable: The truck driver, the motor carrier, and others such as a loading or maintenance company, depending on what the investigation shows.
- Evidence that disappears: Driver logs, inspection records, and the truck’s onboard data can show speed and braking. A written preservation request should go to the carrier early.
- Why the scene matters: ISP has not released a finding of fault. Photos, witness names, and the crash report help show how the crash happened.
- If fault is shared: Indiana bars recovery only when the injured person is 51 percent or more at fault, and otherwise reduces the award by that share.
- Insurance that may apply: The carrier’s commercial liability policy, plus the injured person’s own medical payments and underinsured motorist coverage, if any.
- Deadline: Indiana personal injury claims must generally be filed within two years (IC 34-11-2-4), which makes the deadline October 22, 2028.
How Our Indiana Auto Accident Attorneys Help After a Semi Crash
After a crash with a commercial truck, injured people often hear from the carrier’s insurers within hours. An Indiana auto accident attorney at Langer & Langer takes over those calls and requests the carrier’s records.
We gather the crash evidence, and we value the full claim, including future care, before any settlement is discussed. Our clients always know where their case stands.
What Indiana drivers get from Langer & Langer after a collision with a semi:
- Serving Indiana families since 1980
- More than 100 years of combined legal experience
- Steven L. Langer, former President of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
- Recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America
- Free consultation, no fee unless we win
- $4.1 million car crash settlement
Our office is at 4 Indiana Ave, Valparaiso, IN 46383, and we represent clients statewide. Call 219-245-5881 or send the details through our contact page.
