Passenger succumbs to injuries from 3-vehicle accident
Jasper — One of the two ladies transferred to St. Mary’s Medical Center has died from injuries she sustained in the three-vehicle accident at State Road 162 and Meridian Road that occurred Thursday morning.
According to the Vanderburgh County Coroner, Joyce A. Thomas (who was incorrectly identified as Joyce Jones in a previous media release from police), 63, of County Road 275S, French Lick, died Thursday evening. She was in the back seat of the Ford Escape involved in the accident.
The two other occupants of the small SUV were her sisters, Sylvia J. Seybold, 59 and Marian Z. Nelson, 60, who also live County Road 275S in French Lick.
The three-vehicle collision at State Road 162 and Meridian Road sent those three plus one other driver to the hospital with injuries Thursday morning.
According to police, the 2014 Ford Escape Seybold was operating was southbound on Meridian Road approaching State Road 162 at about 9:40 a.m. when she disregarded the stop sign at the intersection.
The Ford entered the intersection and was struck by a westbound 2008 GMC Envoy driven by Lindsay M. Kennedy, 32, of Baden Strasse, Jasper.
The impact spun the Ford around into a 2015 GMC Acadia driven by Stanley J. Ruhe, 63, of University Drive, Jasper, that was in the eastbound turn lane to turn onto Meridian. The small SUV then careened off the road down an embankment on the south side of State Road 162.
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Seybold suffered multiple injuries and was taken to Memorial Hospital before being transferred to St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Nelson, who was in the passenger-side front seat, received multiple injuries and was taken to Memorial Hospital by ambulance.
Thomas was in the back seat. She was also transported to Memorial Hospital and then transferred to St. Mary’s in Evansville where she died from her injuries Thursday evening.
According to police, these three were not wearing their seatbelts and the use of their seatbelts may have lessened the seriousness of their injuries.
Kennedy was wearing her seatbelt. She complained of neck pain and was taken to Memorial Hospital by ambulance for treatment.
Ruhe was also wearing his seatbelt and did not report any injuries.
Seybold’s Ford and Kennedy’s GMC were both considered total losses. Ruhe’s GMC had about $7,000 in damages.
The highway was shut down to through traffic for about an hour as police investigated the accident.
The Jasper Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana State Police, Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services, Dubois County Sheriff’s Department and wreckers from Luegers and Uebelhor and Sons assisted Jasper Police Department at the scene.
According to police, the incident is still under investigation.
