Two Johnson County women are dead after the car they were traveling in crashed at a high rate of speed.
Both Rita J. Britton, 68, of Franklin, and Vicki J. Alexander, 75, of Greenwood, died at IU Health Methodist Hospital after the Tuesday afternoon crash on U.S. 31 in Blue River Township.
Multiple emergency crews responded to the crash about 1:42 p.m. Tuesday, according to the accident report.
Both Britton and Alexander were unconscious at the scene when law enforcement and fire personnel arrived, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office news release. Britton was taken by LifeLine and Alexander was transported to the Indianapolis hospital by ambulance, the news release said.
Witnesses told deputies the car was traveling at a high rate of speed — one said about 90 mph — when the driver, later identified as Britton, appeared to lose control. The car swerved across the yellow lines several times. Britton appeared to have overcorrected, and the car slid across two lanes of traffic before striking a ditch, according to the accident report.
Britton was thrown from the vehicle at impact, and the passenger, later identified as Alexander, was trapped inside, witnesses said.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the accident. The Edinburgh Police Department assisted with traffic control as southbound U.S. 31, between State Road 252 and County Road 650S, was closed for about three hours on Tuesday, according to the news release.
