Weather-related crashes include southern Indiana fatality

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana State Police and highway officials cautioned motorists Tuesday to be wary of slick road conditions following a winter storm that contributed to a traffic fatality and a van crash that injured four people.

The National Weather Service warned southern Indiana could receive 1-2 inches of additional snow Tuesday night and Wednesday and that gusty winds could create blowing snow and snow squalls.

The weather service reported 8.5 inches of snow fell in Bedford on Monday; 7.1 inches fell in Odon in Daviess County, and Evansville received nearly 6 inches.

The slick roads left behind by the storm contributed to a fatal crash on Interstate 65 in southern Indiana's Clark County about 8 a.m. Tuesday, state police said. A pickup truck driven by Dennis Davis, 64, of Clarksville and traveling too fast for the road conditions went out of control, left the highway and struck a tree, police said. Davis wasn't wearing a seat belt.

Meanwhile, the driver of an Ohio University van that crashed Monday afternoon along I-70 about 50 miles east of Indianapolis told police he lost control of the vehicle on the ice-covered roadway, state police said.

The eastbound van driven by Daniel Michaud, 18, of Euclid, Ohio, slid off the left side of the road, over a steep embankment and into a deep ravine, traveling 389 feet before coming to rest against a tree, police said.

Catherine Bailey, 20, of Athens, Ohio, received a concussion and Andrew Williams, 20, of Zanesville, Ohio, suffered a broken leg, police said. Two other passengers suffered minor injuries and were released after treatment. Michaud wasn't hurt.

Many school districts in southern Indiana canceled classes Tuesday because of treacherous driving conditions. A winter travel warning remained in effect in Clark County directing residents to refrain from travel. Most other Indiana counties south of I-70 were under travel watches, recommending only essential travel, or travel advisories.