Purdue physicist among 5 killed in fiery I-65 crash

An Illinois truck driver's failure to slow down with traffic as he headed into a construction zone late Thursday night sparked a fiery seven-vehicle wreck that claimed the lives of a Greenwood optometrist, her two young sons and a promising Purdue University researcher.

Five people, including the semi driver believed to be at fault, died in the mangled wreckage of two semis and two passenger vehicles on Interstate 65 southbound, Indiana State Police said.

Three additional passenger cars sustained minor damage in the crash about a mile south of the Indiana 43 exit north of Lafayette.

Traffic was backed up at the time of the crash because travel had been restricted to a single lane at 9 p.m., ISP Sgt. Kim Riley said.

Ruslan Pankiv, 34, of Lake Zurich, Illinois, was allegedly driving too quickly into the restricted zone in a semi owned by TXM Inc. of Lockport, Illinois, when he struck a passenger car driven by Mikhail Stepanov, 41, of Lafayette.

Stepanov, whose car was pushed into a ditch, died on the scene, and his wife, 31-year-old Tatiana Stepanova of Lafayette, was taken to IU Health Arnett Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, Riley said.

She was listed in good condition Friday afternoon.

After striking the first car, Pankiv's semi continued into a second passenger vehicle and a trailer hauling chicken wings, then caught fire.

"When officers arrived, the semi and the car were fully engulfed. They couldn't tell if there were people in the vehicles or not," he said.

Pankiv died in the fire, as did 47-year-old Jill Buck of Greenwood and her sons A.J., 8, and Branson, 10.

Pankiv was a driver for Illini State Trucking, according to 1st Sgt. Tyler Utterback, who is assigned to the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division.

Illini State Trucking, which is based in Hammond, has had nine crashes and 98 violations in the past two years, according to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Only one of the prior crashes was fatal; four others involved injuries. The company has 143 vehicles and 156 drivers.

The Journal & Courier's calls and emails to Illini State Trucking were not returned Friday.

No injuries were reported for 55-year-old Bogufalw Leja of Elmwood Park, Illinois, who was driving the second semi, which was pushed into three additional passenger cars that sustained only minor damage.

Steven Moore said he was on his way to West Virginia from his home in Bolingbrook, Illinois, when he witnessed the crash. His car would have been the first vehicle struck had he not swerved out of the way, he said.

Traffic was at a near standstill when the truck approached at what he described as a high rate of speed.

"We were in the line of cars coming up to the construction zone," Moore said. "I jumped into the left lane and an 18-wheeler comes flying past me and hit a car. Then there was an explosion, and then he hit another car, and then there was another explosion."

Moore said he and many others at the scene called 911, and police were on the scene in a matter of minutes.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life except on TV," he said. "We're here but for the grace of God."

Victims impacted

A statement on behalf of the Buck family released by Jason Gallman, associate pastor of Community Church of Greenwood, said relatives and church members are devastated by the loss of the mother and her two sons.

"We ask for your prayers through this process. We remain faithful in God in this very, very difficult time and are thankful to the many family, friends, and community members who continue to show their support," the statement said. "We ask for privacy as we grieve together."

Jill Buck was an optometrist at South Grove Eye Care in Greenwood, and she served with HealthNet, a network of primary care physicians.

"All of us at HealthNet are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our esteemed colleague, Dr. Jill Buck, a highly skilled optometrist whose work serving the uninsured and underinsured in Indianapolis has improved the lives of so many people," HealthNet President and CEO J. Cornelius Brown said in a written statement.

"We extent our condolences to Jill's husband, Paul and the rest of her family. It was a special privilege to have known Jill and been able to appreciate the many facets of her character and talents," Brown added. "She was not only an accomplished optometrist, but a truly extraordinary human being and a loving wife and mother. Jill will be in all of our memories."

Stepanov, who was the first fatality identified by authorities when they arrived on scene, was a postdoctoral research associate studying high-energy nuclear physics at Purdue University.

Andrew Hirsch, the university's interim department head for physics and astronomy, said he heard about the crash before realizing he knew a victim.

"I woke up and heard about the accident early this morning, but I didn't know that any of our people were associated with it," he said Friday.

Stepanov had been with the university a year, during which he worked closely with students and professors on physics research, Hirsch said.

He was on track to complete his postdoctoral position at the end of the month then embark on the next phase of his career, with plans to visit family in Russia on Monday, Hirsch said.

Stepanov's wife, Tatiana, is currently at IU Health Arnett Hospital with minor injuries and likely would be released either Friday or Saturday, Hirsch said.

Wei Xie, associate professor of physics, said Stepanov had played an essential role in completing group research projects.

"During his brief time at Purdue, he made many friends and is loved by all members of our group," Xie said. "It is so sad to lose a well respected colleague and beloved friend."

Attempts to reach Pankiv's personal and professional contacts were unsuccessful.

Traffic considerations

Northbound lanes were reopened near the Indiana 43 exit about 8 a.m. Friday, while southbound lanes were reopened about 12:30 p.m.

As an alternate route, police were taking traffic off the interstate, moving it to U.S. 231, U.S. 52 eastbound, then back onto I-65.The detour route brought motorists off the highway and through West Lafayette and Lafayette.

Debbie Calder, communications director for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said warning signage for the nightly lane closure began near the crash site, just south of Indiana 43. The actual lane closure begins near the bridge over the Wabash River.

Advanced measures are taken to warn drivers of shifting lanes or slowed traffic, as is the case during any construction project, Calder said. About 21 miles, 5 miles and 2 miles prior to the scene of the accident, there are signs on I-65 southbound about the upcoming lane restrictions.

Those signs warn drivers of roadwork beginning at mile marker 172 and advise that one lane will be closed. Prior to the lane closure Thursday night, a warning sign advised of one-lane traffic beginning at mile marker 176, Calder said.

An INDOT work zone safety engineer is expected review the crash report Friday to see whether any changes need to be made to improve safety conditions in the construction zone, she said.

Contributing: Taya Flores/tflores@jconline.com.