Cincinnati Man Identified as Victim of Fatal Friday Morning Crash on I-74

Friday, October 13, 2023 at 3:09 PM

The crash closed I-74 in Ripley County for approximately five hours.

Shutterstock photo.

(Ripley County, Ind.) – A Cincinnati man has been identified as the victim of a fatal crash along Interstate 74 this morning.

According to the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office, the two-vehicle crash occurred on Interstate 74 westbound near the 151-mile-miker in northern Ripley County around 5:00 a.m.

The initial investigation indicated that Thomas Kotzbauer, 80, for an unknown reason was stationary in the westbound driving lane with no illumination on his vehicle when a UPS semi tractor with dual trailers collided with his vehicle.

As a result of the collision, both vehicles left the roadway, and Kotzbauer sustained fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the UPS semi was uninjured.

Toxicology results are pending although alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be factors in the crash.

I-74 was closed for nearly five hours for crash investigation and cleanup.

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