A Tragic Afternoon on U.S. Highway 231: Two Lives Lost, One Seriously Injured in Montgomery County Crash
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Ind. — A devastating crash on U.S. Highway 231 brought traffic to a standstill and left a community reeling on Monday afternoon. According to the INDOT Traffic Management Center, all lanes—both northbound and southbound—were shut down between County Road 500 South and County Road 700 South at approximately 3:42 p.m. after a multi-vehicle collision that claimed two lives and left another person severely injured.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that three vehicles were involved in the tragic incident. Officers identified the victims as 26-year-old Masey Ward, a resident of Brazil, and 38-year-old Rogelio Diaz Gomez, of Greencastle. Both individuals tragically died as a result of the crash.
Another victim, a 41-year-old man, had to be extricated from one of the vehicles. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis, where he is receiving critical medical care.
According to the sheriff’s office, the chain-reaction crash began when a truck traveling north struck a southbound car, forcefully pushing it across the center line into the northbound lane of U.S. 231. In those fatal seconds, the displaced vehicle was struck again—this time by another northbound car—resulting in catastrophic damage.
Authorities identified the truck driver as 39-year-old Richard Neal, a resident of New Market. Neal is now facing serious legal consequences, with preliminary charges including two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death and two counts of criminal recklessness. The announcement of these charges underscores the devastating impact impaired driving can have—not only on victims and their families, but on entire communities.
By 5:34 p.m., INDOT announced that all lanes of U.S. Highway 231 had reopened, bringing an end to a closure that lasted nearly two hours. Still, the highway’s brief standstill was a stark reminder of how quickly tragedy can unfold. The crash site was located roughly four miles south of Crawfordsville, an area normally known for calm rural stretches rather than scenes of such heartbreaking loss.
As of now, the precise cause of the crash remains under investigation. Authorities have not yet released detailed information on the sequence of impacts, nor have they clarified the exact number of individuals involved beyond the confirmed victims. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office continues to lead the investigation, working to piece together the circumstances that resulted in this fatal collision.
For the families of Masey Ward and Rogelio Diaz Gomez, Monday’s crash marks the beginning of an unimaginable grief. What began as an ordinary afternoon became a turning point—one that has forever changed their futures. Their names now join the too-long list of lives lost on Indiana roadways, and their memories become a call for continued awareness, responsibility, and safety behind the wheel.
As the investigation moves forward, the community awaits answers, hoping for clarity and justice while mourning those whose lives were taken far too soon.