Published: May 22, 2009 10:56 pm      

Police say trucker may have been tired

Driver died in May 12 Tipton collision.

TIPTON – Witnesses provided conflicting statements about a May 12 fatal accident at Ind. 28 and U.S. 31, but police believe driver fatigue played a factor in the crash.

Billy A. Maseman Jr., 37, Port Royal, S.C., died at the scene when his semitrailer T-boned another tractor-trailer at the intersection.

Friday, Tipton County Sheriff Frank Fritch released the official accident report for the incident, which concluded that Maseman was possibly fatigued and did not stop for a red light.

Maseman was driving westbound on Ind. 28 at 2:30 a.m. May 12 when he collided with a northbound truck on U.S. 31 driven by Eugene F. Lavender III, 36, Spencer.

According to a witness who was traveling behind Maseman, the east/west stoplight at the intersection was red when Maseman entered the intersection.

An Indiana State Police accident reconstruction specialist determined Maseman was probably traveling at about 40 to 45 mph when he entered the intersection. The cab of his truck collided with the right side of Lavender’s truck, where the trailer Lavender was pulling attached to the cab, police determined.

The witness behind Maseman told police he did not see Maseman’s brake lights as the trucker approached the intersection.

But police said a second witness said she was traveling eastbound on Ind. 28 and was waiting for the light to change when she saw the collision.

That witness told police the east/west light had turned green, and that the northbound semi, driven by Lavender, appeared to run the red light.

Lavender said the light had turned from green to yellow as he approached the intersection, and that at the same time, he noticed Maseman’s truck “approaching the intersection from the east at a speed which he did not believe the vehicle could stop,” according to the sheriff’s accident report.

Lavender told police he accelerated to avoid being hit in the side of his cab.

State police also reviewed driver records, which indicated Maseman was in violation of the 14-hour limit between rests.

Driver fatigue was listed as a contributing circumstance to the crash on the accident report.

“The information collected at the scene indicates that Mr. Maseman was possibly fatigued and did not stop for a red light, and entered the intersection, striking the northbound semi,” the accident report concluded.

Lavender and his wife, who was asleep in the cab, were not injured in the crash, which either fully or partially shut down the intersection for 10 hours.

• Scott Smith is a Kokomo Tribune staff writer. He may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@ kokomotribune.com