1 dead, 4 injured after SR 46 crash

Two Ford pickup trucks, one white and one gray, collided head-on near Stinesville Road in Monroe County at about 4:40 p.m. this afternoon.

A statement issued by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said the driver of the white truck, William E. Johnson, 33, of Freedom, Ind., was pronounced dead at the scene by Monroe County Coroner Jerry Reed.

The driver of the gray truck, Joseph P. Desmond III, of Bloomington, Ind., was lifelined to Indianapolis directly from the scene.

The white truck, a company vehicle, was transporting three other employees besides the driver at the time. One employee was taken to Bloomington Hospital after the crash, and lifelined to Indianapolis from there. The other two employees in the truck were taken to Bloomington Hospital.

According to the statement, the white truck was traveling west on State Road 46 when it went left of center and struck the gray truck, headed eastbound, head-on.

The Sheriff’s Office said the incident is currently being investigated by accident reconstruction specialists. The road was closed for two and a half hours due to the crash. The extent of the injuries to the victims is unknown at this time.