Woman dies in single-vehicle accident on State Road 56

An elderly Petersburg woman was killed in a single-vehicle accident on State Road 56 Monday morning.

According to Indiana State Police, Carolyn Bennett, 89, succumbed to injuries she sustained when the car she was a passenger in ran off the highway at about 8:20 a.m. near County Road 1100E in Pike County.

Indiana State Police and Pike County Sheriff’s Department responded to the crash and determined that Sharon L. Cannon, 54, of Petersburg, was driving a 1996 Chevrolet east on State Road 56 approaching CR 1100E when, for unknown reasons, Cannon’s vehicle left the roadway on the right side. The car entered a ditch and struck an embankment before stopping.

Cannon was not injured but Mrs. Bennett and her husband Edward Bennett, 93, were taken to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville where Mrs. Bennett died from her injuries.

Mr. Bennett was treated for a head injury.

The Bennetts are the parents of Kyle Bennett, CEO of Memorial Hospital in Jasper.

The vehicle was totaled and authorities were investigating whether seat belts were in use at the time of the crash.

Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Township Fire Department and Pike Emergency Medical Services assisted at the scene.