Prescott Valley woman dies after car hits firetruck in Indiana

PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. — A 23-year old Prescott Valley woman was killed when the car she was in, driven by her husband, struck the back of a firetruck on an interstate in Indiana Sunday morning.

Jenna N. Monet died and her husband, 25-year-old Derrick N. Monet, also of Prescott Valley, was seriously injured after their Tesla crashed into the back of a parked firetruck.

According to information from Indiana State Police, the firetruck was responding to an earlier single-vehicle crash on I-70 eastbound in Putnam County, Indiana near Cloverdale.

Just after 8 a.m. the Cloverdale Fire Department was responding to the earlier accident and positioned their vehicles in the passing lane, with all emergency lights activated.

Investigators say the 2019 Tesla ran into the back of the parked firetruck after the driver failed to see the emergency vehicle.

Both victims were seriously injured on impact and had to be extricated from the wreckage. The Monets were transported to Terre Haute Regional Hospital for treatment, where Jenna died from her injuries, state police said.

No firefighters were injured and drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash, police said. Family members have been notified.

Additional information from The Associated Press

According to Sgt. Matt Ames with Indiana State Police, Derrick Monet told investigators he regularly uses his Tesla’s autopilot mode, but that “due to the impact of the accident he cannot recall whether or not he had it on at the time of the accident.”

State police are continuing to investigate whether or not the autopilot was activated and planned to contact Tesla as part of their investigation, he said.

At the time of Sunday’s crash the Monets were traveling from Arizona to Maryland, Ames said.

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