Crash forces temporary closure of Interstate 69 southbound in Grant County

GRANT COUNTY, Ind. — A crash forced officials to temporarily close a portion of Interstate 69 southbound in Grant County Monday night. According to a notification from the Indiana Department of Transportation, I-69 southbound was shut down at mile marker 259 around 9:35 p.m. INDOT indicated that the portion of I-69 affected by the closure is located between State Roads 22 and 26 near Gas City. INDOT has reported that the Grant County Sheriff's Office is the agency investigating the crash. GCSO has confirmed that at least one person was injured in the crash. Neither INDOT nor the sheriff's office have specified the exact number of people injured in the crash. The nature and severity of the injuries the crash caused are also unknown. GCSO and INDOT have not provided an exact timetable for the road's reopening. As of this article's publication, no additional information on the crash or the circumstances that led to it had been made available. Before the crash occurred, the National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement that indicated road conditions in Grant and other counties in central Indiana could deteriorate Monday night due to scattered snow showers. The agency also reported that the falling snow could reduce visibility. The NWS encouraged drivers to exercise caution when on the road on Monday night as rapid changes in visibility and traction were possible on Indiana's roads. It is currently unclear if Monday night's crash in Grant County was weather-related, though snow was seen accumulating on road shoulders and grassy surfaces in the area. Forecasts the NWS released ahead of Monday's winter weather event suggested that most localities in central Indiana would see snowfall accumulations of an inch or less. The agency predicted some points north of Indianapolis like Kokomo could see snowfall totals of about two inches. Indiana State Police reported slick road conditions in both Putnam and Miami counties Monday night. Troopers reportedly assisted numerous motorists whose cars had slipped off the roadway in those counties. In Miami County, specifically, U.S. Highway 31 was shut down at State Road 218 because a semi had jackknifed there. "We strongly encourage everyone to stay home and limit travel to essential trips only until road conditions improve," Steven Glass, the public information officer for ISP's Peru District, wrote in a post on Facebook. "If you must travel, slow down, increase your following distance, and give emergency crews plenty of room to work safely." Earlier in the evening, state troopers in Lafayette had reported low visibility, high winds and slick road conditions on Interstate 65 in White County. Police reported that they assisted multiple motorists who were involved in crashes on both sides of I-65. ISP provided the following photo of the road conditions in White County in a post on Facebook. This is a developing story; check back for updates.