Man Killed When Semi Driver Reverses After Missing Exit

JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (STMW) - An Indianapolis man was killed in a crash Thursday morning near Remington when the semi he was driving smashed into another semi as its driver attempted to reverse his truck after missing an exit on Interstate 65.

Sayad Ama Ikar, 50, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, a Class D felony, after the crash, a release from Indiana State Police said. His passenger, 23-year-old Abbdirahman Sayid Ana, also of Greensboro, was charged with obstruction of justice.

The crash happened at 11:15 a.m. on I-65 southbound at the Remington/Rensselaer exit, police said.

Ikar was driving a 2001 Freightliner semi-box trailer south in the right lane when he missed his exit. He then stopped and put the semi in reverse and backed up to the exit, the release said.

James Jones, 44, of Indianapolis, Indiana was driving another Freightliner semi-box trailer south in the right lane when his truck smashed into the rear of Ikar's trailer.

Jones suffered major blunt force trauma to his body and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Deputy Coroner from Jasper County, the release said.

Another driver, 30-year-old Donald Moore, of Saint Paul. Ind., sustained minor damage to his trailer when debris from the collision came his way. He was not injured in the crash.

Ikar's trailer was loaded with rubber mats which was split open and strewn onto the road after the crash. Jones' semi was loaded with refrigerated food products but did not spread onto the road.

Ikar and Ana were both taken to Jasper County Hospital. Both were treated and released, the release said. The two men were later taken to the Jasper County Jail and were charged in the crash.

I-65 southbound was closed until early Thursday evening for reconstruction of the crash, removal of debris and the involved vehicles, as well as the man who died, the release said.

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