Crash that killed teen girl remains under investigation
The investigation continues into a Tuesday evening collision involving an ambulance and an electric bike in Terre Haute that left one girl dead and another badly injured.
Autumn Poulter, 13, 'was a loving, caring, outgoing teenager who was taken too soon,' Michael and Michelle Poulter wrote on social media.
At a car wash and bake sale at Baesler's Market to raise money for the two girls, a half-dozen cars were lined up more than 15 minutes before the event was to begin at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Kids held signs reading 'Justice for Autumn and Journey' and '#forever 13.' More than 50 people turned out to remember Autumn.
Cookies and other baked snacks and pizza were available on a string of tables. Candles in glass jars with a photo of Poulter and reading, 'Justice for Autumn' were also on sale.
A woman driving down Poplar Street stopped her SUV before the teens and slipped one of them some money before resuming her journey. Other vehicles honked at the activity, including a logging truck.
Michael Poulter, Autumn's father, declined to sit for an interview during what he called 'a family event,' adding, 'I'm just overwhelmed by it all. I've just had two seconds all day of no one talking to me.'
Michael said he had attended a demonstration outside Trans-Care Ambulance earlier in the day.
MET 041725 POULTER GERDINK
Deanna Gerdink, 14, a student at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, holds up a sign to show support for her injured friend during a fundraiser Thursday in the parking lot between The Meadows and Baesler's Market on Poplar Street.
Friends and family described Autumn as 'sassy.'
Cassie Hinkle, Autumn's aunt, said, 'She was lively, she was sassy. She had a lot of friends — she was very loved, and she'll be very missed. She always loved to go down to the park that we used to live next to and she made friends with everybody no matter who it was.'
Hinkel was gratified by the turnout.
'It's really great,' she said. 'There's a lot of donations — there's a lot of cars.'
Deanna Gardink, Autumn's cousin, said, 'She's always been supportive of me, she's always been there for me, she's always been a great human being in general.'
Breanna Tomlinson was holding half of a large sign touting the young women.
'I came out here to support Autumn and Journey and to show my respect for them,' she said. 'I knew Autumn because we grew up together. I knew Journey through Autumn.
'Autumn was sassy, she was nice,' Tomlinson added. 'She would just basically be sassy all the time. Sometime she had bad days, and sometimes she had the best days. She was just smart.'
Tomlinson said she found out about Autumn's death at school Wednesday and spoke with one of the counselors the school provided.
'They sent me to go home,' she said.
Trinidey McCowen Robins, a friend of Autumn's, said, 'She was a wonderful, wonderful girl. She would speak her mind about anything — if she didn't like you, she'd tell you. She was very blunt about things. If she didn't like something, she'd be super-sassy about it.'
MET 041725 POULTER HARRIS
Jacob Harris, 8, helps wash a car during a fundraiser Thursday in The Meadows shopping center parking lot for the victims of a Tuesday accident.
She added, 'She was always real — like, she was really sweet if you got to know her. She had a big heart. She was a trouper. She would go out of her way to help somebody if they needed help. She's was such a kindhearted person — that's the main focus on her.'
The accident
The Terre Haute Police Department said the accident occurred about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at South 13th Street and Wheeler Avenue.
A Trans-Care ambulance was responding to an auto accident-with-injuries call in Vigo County when it and the electric bike collided. Two girls were on the bike.
Police officers arrived to find ambulance personnel already treating the girls, THPD said. One died of injuries, while the other was airlifted to Indianapolis.
THPD to date has not released details of the accident. Lt. Justin Sears, the department's spokesman, on Thursday said the accident investigation is still in progress, including work being done by detectives and reconstructionists. THPD will release more information when that probe is complete, he said.
Sears said the department would not be releasing the identities of the girls, as they are juveniles, and the department does not believe it is THPD's place nor duty to reveal such information.
By way of phone calls and an emailed public records request, the Tribune-Star sought from the Vigo County Coroner's Office the preliminary death information regarding the girl who perished.
It appears some of that information — such as identify of the individual, location where body was found, and probable cause, manner and mechanism of death — is public information under the sections of state code governing the public's access to records and the duties of the coroner.
Vigo County Coroner Travis Norris said considering the police and death investigations still underway, he was seeking guidance from the Vigo County Prosecutor's Office on what information he should or should not release. It might be Friday before he has an answer, he added.
Jessica Bolin, one resident of the neighborhood where the accident occurred, said there are frequently young kids playing in the area.
Trans-Care is located nearby, at 1299 Voorhees, and neighbors including Bolin said they are concerned about instances in which Trans-Care vehicles drive fast and may not always have their sirens activated until they reach Margaret Avenue.
Michael Poulter told WTWO-TV Channel 2, 'This is not my daughters' fault. … No 13-year-old girl should get struck in the road trying to be a kid, out riding a bike. Just the fact that they rolled through here with no sirens and in such a hurry.'
Trans-Care statement
In an emailed statement, Trans-Care Ambulance called the collision a tragic accident and said its two medics who were in the ambulance — and later an additional nine medics — deployed 'the highest level of prehospital care.'
Trans-Care said it 'has worked transparently and cooperatively with local officials over the past two days, including giving up possession of the unit involved so that it can be moved to a lockup for examination by data experts, and has also provided other data points including onboard video recordings.'
The company said its personnel 'were traveling emergently to an unrelated motor vehicle accident and used emergency lights consistent with common practice.
'… Moments into their emergency response, the incident happened at an intersection where the ambulance had no stop sign.
'As a provider to emergency services, we recognize and share the grief families are having. … Our prayers continue to be with all those affected by this tragedy especially to the family who lost their loved one.
'At the time of this release, we do not have official notice for the second bike rider condition but believe and pray for her continued recovery.'
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