DEKALB COUNTY, Ind. – Indiana State Police are investigating a fatal crash Wednesday afternoon in DeKalb County.

The accident happened around 2:15 on Interstate 69 at the County Road 11A interchange, claiming the life of a 22-year-old Indianapolis woman and critically injuring another.

Mia Stevens was traveling northbound when she swerved from the passing lane to the driving lane to avoid stopped traffic because of construction. The driver’s side of Stevens’ vehicle struck the rear of a semi at highway speed.

As a result of the collision, Stevens suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in Stevens’ car, 22-year-old Meghan Houston, of Indianapolis, suffered critical injuries and was transported from the scene to a Fort Wayne hospital. The driver of the semi was not injured.

Northbound lanes of travel were completely shut down for roughly three hours during the investigation.

A message from Sergeant Brian Walker:

“At this time, investigators are unsure whether this crash was merely an incident of driver inattention, or if there were other contributing factors at play, such as driver impairment or distracted driving behavior.  Regardless, the Indiana State Police must remind all motorists to use extreme caution when entering and negotiating through all roadway construction zones.  Please pay close attention to posted signage warning of the “work zone ahead”, reduce vehicle speeds, and always expect the unexpected.”