Officer involved in three-car accident

A three-car accident involving a Monroe County Sheriff’s employee left two cars totaled Tuesday evening.

The accident left both Sgt. Troy Thomas’s vehicle and a Ford Contour totaled.
The incident happened at 7:40 p.m. when Thomas was on duty but not responding to an emergency, Monroe County Administrative Sgt. Chuck Wilson said.

The matter is still being investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, but Wilson said he thinks Thomas may have been adjusting the temperature in his car when he was heading towards State Road 45/46 Bypass near Fee Lane and following the traffic when he went left of the center lane and hit a Ford Mustang in the right rear.
The Mustang did a 180 degree circle and suffered minor damages.

Thomas’s vehicle then went into the centerline and hit a Ford Contour in the left front. This left both cars totaled.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Detective Captain Kenneth Barnes said there was one person in the Mustang, two people in the Contour and Thomas was the only person in his vehicle.

The people inside of the Contour were taken to  Bloomington Hospital and their status there is not known, Wilson said.

Thomas and the person in the Mustang were checked on the scene and were not taken to the hospital, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office press release about the event.

Wilson said the accident is being investigated by 2 certified accident recreationists and is being treated like any other motor vehicle accident.

Barnes said the investigation should be completed in a couple days.
Wilson said the status of Thomas’s job will be determined after the investigation is completed.