Monroe County reserve deputy killed in crash while responding to accident

MONROE COUNTY, Ind. — A Monroe County reserve deputy was killed in a crash Monday while responding to an accident, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Reserve Deputy James Driver, 38, was responding to the initial crash with emergency lights and sirens activated at about 4 p.m. when he was involved in another crash at West State Road 45 and West Eller Road, according to MCSO.

Driver was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Indiana State Police are investigating the crash. A preliminary investigation shows Driver was traveling south on SR 45 as a 2006 GMC truck and trailer driven by a 22-year-old man from Monticello, Illinois was traveling north. ISP says the man tried to stop but lost control of the truck and traveled into the southbound lanes, where the trailer collided with Driver’s vehicle.

After the impact, Driver’s vehicle rolled off the roadway before coming to a stop. The impact caused Driver to be ejected from the vehicle.

The Illinois man and his passengers were not injured in the crash, but the driver was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for a voluntary blood draw. The results of those tests are pending.

SR 45 was closed for approximately four and a half hours while troopers investigated the crash.

The investigation is ongoing.

MCSO says Driver is originally from the United Kingdom and lived in Spencer, Indiana. He was sworn into the MCSO Reserve Division in June of 2018 and was a graduate of the MCSO Reserve Academy.

Driver leaves behind a wife, one daughter and two step children, MCSO added.