Ripley County rescue units assist Jennings County
Attempted anhydrous theft causes chaos
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

What began as an attempted theft of anhydrous ammonia from an 800-gallon tank at the Jackson-Jennings Co-op, ended with several people transported to city hospitals and a number of Jennings County residents evacuated from their homes in the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 3.

According to information from Jennings County Sheriff Earl Taggart, a serious crash that involved four vehicles is being blamed on an anhydrous cloud that made it impossible to see the road. It is believed that someone or ones were trying to steal anhydrous from the tanks close to US 50 in Jennings County when the leak occurred allowing the chemical to escape.

The accident happened about 12:46 a.m. on Tuesday, when a semi traveling west on US 50 near the co-op which is close to County Road 200 N, entered what he thought was fog. He was immediately unable to see or breathe. The driver slammed his brakes, locking up the wheels and went left of center where he stopped.

What followed was like a scene from a really bad movie as another semi crashed into the first one causing severe damage. A Tracker then crashed into the back of that semi trapping the two occupants inside. A fourth vehicle, a Monte Carlo, tried to avoid the vehicles in front and went left of center striking the first semi.

What made the crash more horrific was the people trapped inside their vehicle were unable to be removed due to the chemical cloud. They remained trapped for a long period of time before they could be rescued. Rescue personnel from Ripley County that included Truck 61 and two rescue squads, assisted and according to eye witnesses they were surprised anyone was still alive when they began to lift the semi so they could remove the Tracker and its occupants.

Three Jennings County residents were transported to hospitals with three helicopters waiting to transport them. "The people involved in the crashes had to be decontaminated before they could be transported once
they were extricated," noted rescue worker Versailles Fireman Chuck Gunter.

Trish Harsh, 47, of North Vernon was airlifted to University of Louisville Hospital and was listed in serious condition. Delores Dixon,
Harsh's mother, was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis; and Larry Willhite, one of the truck drivers, suffered a broken foot among others injuries. Reports say he was able to crawl to a house located about a mile west of the co-op to ask for
help.

About 300 residents in Jennings County were evacuated due to the anhydrous cloud moving west. "We got a knock on the door about 3:00 a.m.," Jason Alcorn of Hoosier Street, North Vernon, noted. He said they were out of their house about three hours.

Ripley County Sheriff Deputy Mike Benjamin stopped traffic from entering Jennings County at the county line and the road was closed for several hours to make sure travel was safe in that area.

Thefts of ammonia are a frequent happening in rural areas as the thieves have become aware of the street value the fertilizer can bring as it is used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant.
Authorities ask residents to be aware and report any suspicious activity particularly around co-ops that have the anhydrous ammonia tanks on their property. As evidenced by the above report, a theft of this nature can involve and hurt many innocent people.

Rescue squads, firemen and first responders from several neighboring counties responded to the incident along with law enforcement from several agencies.

No one has been arrested in connection with the theft.