UPDATE: Interstate 65'southbound lanes reopened at 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

FRANKFORT — Semi driver Toddrick Fairley of Lucedale, Mississippi, didn't see stopped traffic on Interstate 65 north of the Frankfort exit because he was looking for a bottle on the floor of his truck about 9:15 a.m. Thursday, police said.

Fairley's distraction resulted in a crash that tangled four semis together with smaller passenger cars, according to the Indiana State Police.

The crash left one person dead and one hospitalized with serious injuries, according to Indiana State Police.

The crash closed that stretch of I-65 for nine hours, until 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

Fairley's rig slammed into a 2014 Subaru Legacy driven by Timothy Fagley, 54, of Michigan City, sending the red crossover off into the ditch. Fagley suffered serious head injuries, and paramedics airlifted him to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis from the scene, police said

Fairley's rig then drove into the back of a fully loaded semi tanker pulled by Karana Wallace, 38, of Greensburg.

Wallace's tanker rammed into a Ford transit van in front of the tanker. It was driven by Ira Brockman, 81, of Taylor Mill, Kentucky. Brockman died at the scene, police said.

Brockman's minivan was crushed between Wallace's rig and the semi tanker in front of Brockman, which was driven by Lucica Cimpean, 45, of Downers Grove, Illinois, police said.

Another semi in the left southbound lane was driven by Jesus Alamo, 36, of Franklin Park, Illinois. Alamo's semi receive minor damage.

According to police, Fagley's wife, Kim Fagley, refused medical treatment at the scene. IU Health Arnett Hospital treated Fairley and later released him. Wallace also was treated at IU Health Arnett in Lafayette for minor injuries. Cimpean and Alamo refused medical treatment.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said southbound traffic was stopped at the time of the crash because of another traffic accident near the Indiana 28 exit.

The fatal crash happened south of Lafayette, about a mile and a half north of the Indiana 28 exit, also known as the Frankfort exit.

The fatal crash forced police to close the southbound interstate lanes starting about 9:15 a.m. while officers investigated the crash and the scene was cleared.

The highway remained closed during the afternoon, and traffic was diverted off the interstate at Indiana 38 at the Dayton exit. The traffic was routed west to Veterans Memorial Parkway, then southwest to U.S. 52.

Lafayette police published warnings during the day, encouraging motorists to avoid the area because of the congestion caused by the mass exodus from the interstate.

Police directed traffic at the choked intersections starting at the exit ramp and at intersections along Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Several officers worked at each intersection to direct traffic.

Reach Ron Wilkins at 765-420-5231 or at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

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