Editor's Note: This story was updated Tuesday afternoon.
NEW MARKET — The identities of the two people killed Monday in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. 231 at County Road 600S have been released.
Masey Ward, 26, of Brazil, has been identified as the driver of the Kia K5. She and her front seat passenger Rogelio Diaz Gomez, 38, of Greencastle were pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash.
A 41-year-old man who was a back seat passanger in Ward’s vehicle was extricated from the wreckage and flown by LifeLine helicopter to an Indianapolis-area hospital with serious injuries. His condition is unknown.
The driver of the Buick Enclave has been identified as Sandra Hutson, 73, of Crawfordsville. Several of the passengers in the Enclave received serious injuries but all are believed to be non-life-threatening. They were transported by ambulance to the Franciscan Health Crawfordsville.
The driver of the 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, Richard L. Neal, 39, of New Market also was transported to the local hospital, and once medically cleared, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Monday night on preliminary charges.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed police reports on Tuesday and formally charged Neal with two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, five counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person. He remains incarcerated in the county jail without bond.
Court records show that Neal also has a pending criminal case in Montgomery County for felony criminal confinement with bodily injury and domestic battery. Those charges were filed in mid-August.
“This is a senseless, completely avoidable, criminal act in which many lives have been affected,” said Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham. “There is absolutely no reason this incident should have happened. Our thougths and prayers go out to all of the families affected by this tragic crash.”
The crash was reported at 3:14 p.m. Monday. Investigators said Neal was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado east on C.R. 600S when he entered the westbound lane and passed several stopped eastbound vehicles. Neal continued through the intersection and into the travel lanes of U.S. 231, where his vehicle struck a southbound 2021 Kia K5.
The impact of the collision pushed the Kia into the northbound lane, where it collided with a 2024 Buick Enclave that had six occupants.
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Capt. Jake Watson, Detective Jared Kirby or Deputy Caleb Berry at 765-362-3740.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Crawfordsville Police Department, Indiana State Police, Crawfordsville Fire Department, New Market Fire Department, Ladoga Fire Department, Montgomery County Coroner, Froedge’s Wrecker and Wilson’s Towing.
