UPDATE (October 9, 2024):
The Allen County Coroner has identified a woman who died when a tire flew across I-69 before striking her on a motorcycle Monday.
The Coroner says that Julie Starkey’s death has been ruled accidental.
(Original story below)
The following was released:
On October 7, 2024, at about 1600 hours the Allen County Coroner’s Office was notified of a fatal motorcycle versus tire crash near the 319-mile maker of I69, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The victim was identified as Julie Anne Starkey, female, White, 60 years of age, from Auburn, Indiana.
Notification has been made to the legal next of kin.
The Cause of Death is Multiple Blunt Impact Injuries due to Collision with Tire and the Manner of Death is Accident.
Julie Anne Starkey is the 30th motor vehicle fatality for Allen County in 2024.
The incident remains under investigation by the Allen County Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
ORIGINAL STORY:
ALLEN CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – A motorcyclist has been killed in a crash on Interstate 69 in northern Allen County outside of Fort Wayne. The crash happened around 3 p.m. Monday on northbound I-69 near the 319-mile marker. The woman riding the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash was caused by a tire that came off a southbound semi and went through the median to the northbound lanes.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department released the following:
On October 7, 2024 at approximately 3:16 P.M., officers with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department responded to the area of I-69 northbound, just north of the 319 mile marker, reference a personal injury crash. Upon arrival, officers and medics located one driver needing medical attention.
A preliminary investigation indicated that a semi tractor trailer was southbound on I-69, north of the 319 mile marker, when one of it’s tires came off the trailer. The tire rolled over the grass median and entered the northbound lanes of travel. A three-wheel motorcycle, was northbound on I-69, north of the 319 mile marker. At this time, it is not known whether the tire struck the motorcyclist or if they swerved to avoid it and crashed. The motorcycle crashed into the cable barrier in the grass median and came to rest. Officers are continuing their investigation to determine what happened.
The driver of three-wheel motorcycle, an adult female, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the semi was not injured.
This incident remains under investigation.
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