TRAFALGAR, Ind. – UPDATE: The names of the Trafalgar Police officer and the suspect who allegedly led him on a chase that ended in both crashing were released Monday.
Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said the officer is Dustin Moody, 30, of Greenwood, a full-time officer since 2020. He remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The driver of the other vehicle has been identified as Jacob G. Roberts, 23, of Nineveh, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. An autopsy has been completed although toxicology results are pending.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office continues to collect evidence and information. It is still an active investigation, and additional details will be available at the conclusion.
Original: One man is dead and a Trafalgar Police Department officer injured after a crash in the early morning hours on Saturday. The officer was sitting at the intersection of State Road 135 and County Road 300S at about 3:30 a.m. when a dark-colored pickup truck going westbound disregarded the stop at the intersection.
He followed the truck, activated his emergency lights, and tried to pull the truck over. The officer and truck driver crashed into an embankment at County Roads 300S and 600W, a T-intersection, per Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess. Both had to be removed from their vehicles.
The driver of the truck was pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS personnel. The Trafalgar Police officer reportedly had back, hip, leg, and internal injuries. He was transported to Eskenazi Hospital via Lifeline helicopter and is listed in serious, but stable condition.
The Johnson County Coroner’s Office was on the scene and is conducting its own investigation to determine the cause of death. The Johnson County Prosecutor was also on the scene.
The names of those involved in the crash are not being released due to notifications being made. The accident is still under investigation.