Two people riding a motorcycle died in a three-vehicle crash on State Road 135 near Vallonia in Jackson County on the afternoon of Saturday, September 12, 2026. WBIW reported[1] the crash based on a Jackson County Sheriff's Department release. The Republic, WDRB, Tribtown, 1010 WCSI, and FOX59 also reported the crash.
What happened near Vallonia
According to WBIW, the crash happened at about 2:14 p.m. in the 2600 block of South State Road 135. A southbound 2003 Harley-Davidson made contact with a northbound 2019 Dodge Journey, then crossed into the northbound lane and struck a northbound 2023 Toyota Camry, according to the preliminary findings reported by WBIW and The Republic[2].
The motorcycle operator, a 35-year-old man from Campbellsburg, and his passenger, a 26-year-old woman from Greenville, were both pronounced dead at the scene by a Jackson County deputy coroner. No occupants of the other two vehicles were reported injured.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police crash reconstructionists are investigating. Fault has not been formally assigned. The preliminary account is what has been published, and a reconstruction can change it.
What this crash tells drivers on State Road 135
State Road 135 through southern Jackson County is a two-lane rural highway where northbound and southbound traffic is separated only by a painted line. A crash that begins with contact between vehicles traveling in opposite directions can place a vehicle in the oncoming lane, leaving the next driver very little time to react.
For motorcyclists, the margin is smaller. A motorcycle that loses stability after contact with another vehicle can cross the center line quickly, and a rider and passenger have no structure around them. Drivers should watch for motorcycles in the oncoming lane, give riders the full lane, keep speed down where the road curves or sight distance shortens, and leave enough following distance to respond to a sudden event ahead.
People seeking more information about rider claims can review the firm's guidance from a Fort Wayne motorcycle accident attorney and its explanation of sharing the road safely with motorcycles.
What accident victims should do next
If you are hurt in an Indiana highway crash as a driver, passenger, or rider, get medical care first and keep a record of every visit. You can also learn how to obtain an Indiana crash report. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police will produce reports here, and a reconstruction report in a fatal crash can take weeks or months.
Preserve the vehicles and other available evidence. Vehicles involved in a fatal crash are evidence, and physical evidence can be lost when a vehicle is repaired or salvaged. The firm's guide to evidence used in an Indiana crash claim explains why records, photographs, and vehicle evidence can matter.
Fault in a multi-vehicle crash may be divided. A preliminary account is not a legal determination, and a reconstruction may assign responsibility differently from the first report.
Why location matters in an Indiana injury claim
This crash happened on State Road 135 near Vallonia in Jackson County. The investigating agencies are the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Indiana State Police. An Indiana civil claim arising from a crash is ordinarily filed in the county where it occurred, which points to the Jackson County courts.
The two-year limitations period for a personal injury or wrongful death claim under Ind. Code 34-11-2-4 runs from the date of the crash. For a September 12, 2026 crash, that deadline falls on or about September 12, 2028. Indiana's wrongful death statutes, Ind. Code 34-23-1-1 and 34-23-1-2, provide that a wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative of the decedent's estate. Which statute applies depends on the decedent's family circumstances.
Indiana's Comparative Fault Act, Ind. Code 34-51-2-6, assigns each person involved a percentage of fault. A claimant found more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing; otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. In a multi-vehicle crash, that division of fault can be hotly contested and cannot be predicted from a news report. A plain-language explanation is available in the firm's guide to Indiana's comparative fault rule.
If a government entity were a defendant, such as in a claim involving the condition of a state highway, the Indiana Tort Claims Act would require written notice within 180 days for a political subdivision under Ind. Code 34-13-3-8 and within 270 days for the State under Ind. Code 34-13-3-6. Nothing published suggests a road defect or government fault in this crash.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm represents people hurt by someone else's carelessness on Indiana roads, including motorcycle crashes on rural state highways. Chad Delventhal can obtain crash and reconstruction reports, identify potentially available insurance policies, explain comparative fault in a multi-vehicle crash, and review the deadlines that may govern a claim.
The firm offers a free case evaluation. Insurance companies may aggressively defend a disputed crash claim, so clear records and timely evidence preservation matter.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
