Three dead after crash, fire on Interstate 65 Wednesday

Three people are dead after a five-vehicle crash and fire on Interstate 65 yesterday about two miles south of the Jonesville Road exit.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says that 67-year-old John W. Mumma, of Philo, Illinois along with 57-year-old Glenn E. Cardelli, and his wife 57-year-old Kathryn L. Cardelli, both of Minocqua, Wisconsin all died in the crash yesterday morning. They were slowed for construction work in southbound traffic behind a semi in the left lane at about 10 a.m. in the morning when a semi driven by 46-year-old Roger E. Woody of Mooresboro, North Carolina hit them from behind. Wheeles said that Woody failed to slow down for the backed up traffic.

The Cardellis were in a motor home that was pushed into Mumma’s pickup that was then pushed under the back of the slowed semi in front. Woody’s truck then hit another semi in the right lane. The vehicles burst into flames, with a fire that raged until early evening shutting down the interstate. Wheeles said that the highway was finally reopened last night after almost 11 hours.

Neither Woody, nor the drivers in the other two semis,  Cameron R. Haskett, age 28, Halethrope, Maryland and Anatoliy M. Petrov, age 43, Park Ridge, Illinois,  were injured.

The crash remains under investigation.