DOC van crashes with car, sends 1 to hospital

PULASKI COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A Department of Corrections (DOC) van crashed and a driver was airlifted from the scene Thursday afternoon.

Indiana State Police (ISP) Sgt. Ann Wojas says that at roughly 4:20 p.m., a DOC van driven by 32-year-old Michael Ritchey of Rockville, Ind., was southbound on State Road 39 in Pulaski County when he failed to yield the right of way at the intersection of State Road 14.

A passenger car driven by 23-year-old Brandi N. Stone of Medaryville, Ind., was headed east on State Road 14 when Ritchey failed to stop at the stop sign and hit Stone’s vehicle.

Stone was airlifted to Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne with non-life-threatening internal injuries. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Ritchey was not injured, and also had two passengers in his van, one being a DOC prisoner he was transporting. Neither passenger was injured, and all were wearing their seatbelts.

The van sustained roughly $15,000 in damage and Stone’s car sustained roughly $10,000.