BENTON COUNTY, Ind. — A Benton County Sheriff's deputy was injured in a crash on Saturday afternoon.
According to a press release, the Benton County Dispatch Center received a report of a single-vehicle crash involving a deputy around 4 p.m. After an investigation, police determined the deputy was monitoring traffic on U.S. Highway 52 and County Road 500 South before the crash.
While she was watching traffic, the deputy observed a light blue vehicle bearing Illinois plates traveling 87 mph in a 60 mph speed zone. The deputy subsequently activated her marked patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren in attempt to conduct a traffic stop.
As she was attempting to pull the speeding vehicle over, another driver moved their car from the right lane to the left lane, cutting off the deputy. To avoid crashing into the car that pulled out in front of her, the deputy took evasive action, steering her car toward the median.
After she swerved into the median, the deputy struck a culvert, which caused her car to go airborne. The deputy's car ultimately came to rest in the median.
The deputy was transported from the scene to a hospital in Lafayette with non-life-threatening injuries. The motorist that pulled out in front of the deputy and the driver the deputy was trying to stop for speeding both fled the scene.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the incident and urging those with information on the crash to call deputies at (765) 884-0080 or contact Indiana State Police at (765) 567-2125.
As of this article's publication, no additional information on the crash had been made available.