Lack of turn signal causes four car collision in Jasper
Four vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction collision when a driver suddenly hit their brakes and turned without signaling Wednesday morning in Jasper.
According to police, the unidentified vehicle was eastbound on State Road 56 at about 7:40 a.m. when it suddenly braked and turned north onto Carroll Street without using a turn signal.
Zachary Buechlein, 23, of Jasper, who was following the vehicle in a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, immediately slowed to avoid colliding with the rear of the unidentified vehicle. When he did so, a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Waylon Bruce, 39, of Washington, rear-ended the minivan.
A 2016 Ford Fusion driven by Willa Alcantara, 55, of Winslow, then collided with Bruce’s Nissan. Subsequently, a fourth vehicle, a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Ashley Altum-Ortega, 29, of Jasper, then collided with the rear of the Ford Fusion.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the crashes.
Three vehicles had to be towed from the scene. The Pathfinder and Mitsubishi Outlander were towed by Ruxer Ford Lincoln and the Ford Fusion was towed by Uebelhor and Sons.
Police issued a reminder that according to Indiana Traffic Code, the signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given continuously not less than the last 200 feet traveled by a vehicle before turning or changing lanes.
Gosh – I’m no ISP trooper or accident reconstructionist, but like many things that aren’t rocket science this seems more like following too closely (x3) was the primary cause of this mess. Have been around and involved long enough to know that while all-too-easy to target the first vehicle for not using a signal (understand a law and important), resulting chain reactions are usually from following too closely (for speed and/or conditions) by all involved.