A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy is recovering after he was involved in a car crash in Whiteland Wednesday afternoon.
The two-vehicle crash was reported at 2:22 p.m. at Whiteland Road and U.S. 31.
Sheriff Duane Burgess said the deputy was on his way to respond to a crash in the eastern part of the county when his vehicle was T-boned.
Witnesses told responding officers from Whiteland Police Department they saw the deputy activate his lights and sirens and that he approached the intersection with caution. However, the black SUV that hit his vehicle did not appear to attempt to brake, according to the accident report complied by WPD.
The SUV driver told police she didn’t see the police vehicle coming. Witnesses say other traffic yielded while this driver continued, the report says.
The deputy was transported to Franciscan Health Indianapolis with complaints of pain. Luckily, his injuries were not severe and he should be back to work in about a week, Burgess said.
The deputy’s car, however, is totaled. It was T-boned on the passenger side, Burgess said.
The crash serves as a reminder to minimize distractions while on the road. Drivers should stay off their cell phones and keep music at a volume where they can hear what is going on around them, he said.
“People just need to pay attention and watch out and listen for sirens,” Burgess said.
Drivers should also know how to yield to public safety officials properly. The protocol is to slow down and get to the right side as soon as it is safe to do so when police, fire or EMS vehicles approach, he said.
Even when in the left lane, drivers should get over to the right side, rather than the median side. Drivers should also not stop on a hill, he said.
