Pike County chase ends in fatal head-on collision

A high-speed police pursuit in Pike County, Indiana, resulted in a head-on collision that killed three people, including an 8-year-old girl.

The incident began Saturday night when a Pike County deputy, responding to a domestic violence call at a gas station with emergency lights and sirens activated, observed a red Toyota Camry fleeing the scene. According to the Indiana State Police, the Camry driver ran another motorist off the road and failed to stop at a flashing red signal. After the Camry attempted to strike the deputy’s vehicle, the officer initiated a pursuit.

The chase ended near County Road 900 E when the Camry crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a Toyota Sienna. The driver of the Sienna, 41-year-old Amanda Wertman of Winslow, and the driver of the Camry both died at the scene. Four juveniles were traveling in the Sienna; Wertman’s 8-year-old daughter later died at a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, while the three other children remain hospitalized but are expected to recover. The Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction Team is investigating the incident.