Shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday a witness to an accident north of Rushville called 911 and reported that a tractor-trailer and a vehicle had collided on SR 3 north of the flasher lights at CR 900N.

The call resulted in multiple volunteer fire department personnel from the Raleigh area and medical and law enforcement units responding to the 10,000 block of North SR 3 where they found a 2005 Lexus in an east side ditch and the tractor-trailer it collided with nearly a quarter of a mile away where it finally came to a stop in the intersection of CR 1000 North and the state road.

Manilla resident Kellie A. Kuhn was traveling northbound behind the tractor-trailer driven by Benjamin E. Puehler, 44, of Delta, Ohio, when she saw a southbound Lexus — later found to be driven by Rebecca S. Webb, 60, of Rushville — begin to drift into the northbound lane and into the path of the tractor-trailer in front of her.

“I saw the car cross the center line and just keep going. The semi driver tried to get out of the car’s way, he really tried. Then, all of a sudden they collided,” Kuhn said.

Kuhn’s 2000 Cadillac, which was roughly 40 yards behind the tractor-trailer, sustained damage as a result of the impact when debris struck her car.

“The driver of the tractor-trailer did his very best to get out of the way of the oncoming vehicle in his path. He was nearly off the road when the car struck a glancing blow to the rear right side of his vehicle and then struck the trailer,” investigating officer deputy Randy Chandler of the rush County Sheriff’s Department said.

Webb’s vehicle sustained extensive damage; the driver was unable to steer the vehicle as it left the east side of the road and traveled roughly 100 yards before coming to rest against a fence.

The tractor-trailer also left the east side of the road. The driver was able to regain control of his vehicle before coming to a stop blocking the east side intersection of CR 1000N and SR 3.

The deputy continued by saying that Webb told him she believed she simply fell asleep at the wheel.

All drivers and passengers were properly restrained inside their vehicles.

Responders from the Raleigh Fire Department were required to use extrication equipment to get Webb out of her vehicle. A front seat passenger in her vehicle, her husband John Webb, sustained a laceration to his leg.

Following treatment at the scene, both were transported to Rush Memorial Hospital.

Kuhn and Puehler were uninjured as a result of the accident.

Responding to the scene were units from the RCSD, Indiana State Police, Raleigh Fire Department, Raleigh EMS and Davis Towing.