NEWS

Drowsy teen walks away from mangled truck

Steven Porter
sporter@jconline.com
Jeremy Holmes-Bear, 18, of Lafayette walked away from the mangled wreckage of the 1991 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck he was driving about 4 p.m. Saturday, May 23, when he allegedly fell asleep and wrecked into several trees near Old Indiana 25 and County Road 650 North.

A red Chevy pickup that wrecked Saturday along Old Indiana 25 struck several trees and split in two before coming to a rest.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said the truck bed separated from the cab, leaving the vehicle "completely destroyed."

But the driver, 18-year-old Jeremy Holmes-Bear of Lafayette, somehow managed to escape the wreckage with only minor injuries, Riley noted.

Holmes-Bear had been southbound when he allegedly fell asleep and drove off the right side of the road about 4 p.m. near County Road 650 North, Riley said Sunday in a written release, citing an initial investigation by ISP Trooper Dexter Whitten.

The teen, who had been wearing his seatbelt, reportedly smelled gasoline and feared the truck might catch fire, so he unbuckled himself and crawled from the mangled vehicle.

He was transported to IU Health Arnett Hospital.

Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the driver's age, based on incorrect information from Indiana State Police. The story has been corrected.

Jeremy Holmes-Bear, 18, Lafayette, walked away from the mangled wreckage of a 1991 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck he was driving about 4 p.m. Saturday.