As Weldy stopped momentarily in the crossover, the trailer of his semi was obstructing the passing lane of southbound I-69, plus part of the right lane.
At that time, police say 52-year-old Susan Yoo of Indianapolis, who was driving south a short distance behind the semi, appeared to have slammed on her brakes to avoid the trailer, but was unable. After striking the trailer in what police called a “heavily overlapping same direction sideswipe,“ Yoo’s SUV slid off the interstate into a ditch.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. Indianapolis woman killed in collision with semi trailer on I-69
Because the bottom of a truck is higher than the bumper of passenger vehicles, when there is a collision the smaller vehicle easily slides under the truck and the first point of impact is the windshield. Seatbelts, airbags, and car crumple zones do not function as intended in underride crashes —front, side, and rear — leaving passenger vehicle occupants vulnerable to life-threatening injuries.
See Underride Crash Memorials posted here and at #STOPunderrides Tweets. To add photos or more information on this story or to add other underride crashes to be remembered, send an email to underridemap@gmail.com. Please use this Interactive Underride Crash Map Crash Location Input Form to provide us with accurate information . (Note: the map is currently not online; but we would keep the information for future updating and to aid in underride advocacy efforts.)
Support improving Underride Protection on trailers: Contact your legislators with this User-Friendly TAKE ACTION online tool.
Please sign this petition: Congress, Act Now To End Deadly Truck Underrides.
Note: In order to raise awareness and preserve the memories of underride victims — precious ones gone too soon — I have been writing memorial posts on what appear to me to be underride crashes. I am not a crash reconstructionist, and I do not have all the facts on these crashes; but I think that underride should be investigated as a potential factor in truck crash injuries and deaths.
