At approximately 11:51 p.m. Tuesday, a man who was helping a stranded motorist was struck and killed by a vehicle on the ramp from I-70 westbound to Sam Jones Expressway. The investigation into the crash determined 22 year old Justin Dobbins responded to a call for help from someone who’s car had broken down. The vehicle had become disabled on the shoulder but was partially in the ramp lane. Dobbins arrived and while he was getting into position to help the driver manually push the vehicle onto the shoulder, another vehicle came along and struck the vehicle and Dobbins who was standing beside the car. The Indianapolis Fire Department responded to the scene, despite life saving rescue efforts, Mr. Dobbins was pronounced deceased on scene. The Marion County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Dobbins remained on scene and fully cooperated with the investigation. Per Indiana State Law, the driver of the vehicle was given a certified test for intoxication, (results pending) however neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to be a contributing factor in this crash. Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionists responded to conduct the investigation, which is ongoing. The ramp was closed for approximately three hours but has since reopened.