SULLIVAN COUNTY, IN – A two-vehicle collision on March 23 resulted in the death of one person and serious injuries to several others. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash at the intersection of Old State Road 54 and County Road 400 W around 6:29 p.m. Deputy Phelan Montgomery arrived at the scene to find a silver GMC Acadia and a black Chevrolet Cruz had collided. The Acadia, driven by Julie Libke of Sullivan, had five occupants, all of whom sustained serious injuries. Mary Beth Olson, 82, Libke’s mother-in-law, succumbed to her injuries. Another occupant, Libke’s granddaughter, was airlifted to Indianapolis with internal injuries, while the remaining occupants were taken to local hospitals. The Chevrolet Cruz, driven by Alec Tatom of Sullivan, had one passenger, Alexa Pearson, who sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Tatom himself was not seriously injured. An Indiana State Police crash reconstruction team assisted at the scene, noting Acadia was traveling south on 400 W. and had stopped for the stop sign before pulling into the path of an eastbound black Chevrolet Cruz, which had the right of way, and glare from the setting sun may have contributed to the accident. There were no indications of drugs or alcohol being involved in the crash.
