Danville Man Dies After Storm

Danville Man Dies After Touching Downed Power Line

Crews couldn’t reach him until the power was shut off. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Blurred police lights. — Source: (Photo: Joe Choe16/Thinkstock.)

DANVILLE, Ind. — A crash during Wednesday night’s storm is under investigation in Hendricks County.

Around 9:30 p.m., first responders found a burning pickup truck on CR 75 W near CR 200 S in Danville. Downed power lines blocked the road, and nearby, 27-year-old Nathan Merritt was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get to the vehicle or the person due to the downed power lines,” said Hendricks County Sheriff’s Captain Jim Yetter. “They contacted the power company, and they were able to shut the power off.”

Merritt’s truck hit downed power lines. At some point, he got out of the truck and made contact with a live wire.

“We’ve had several utility poles knocked over,” Yetter said. “There are several roadways blocked by fallen poles.”

Yetter cautioned against leaving your car during severe storms..