Round Lake family critically injured in Ind. crash

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INDIANAPOLIS - A Round Lake woman and her two young children were critically injured in a crash Friday night after a 72-year-old man allegedly mistook his car's accelerator for the brake.

Erin McCormick, 36, was driving her family in a Honda Odyssey on Interstate 65 near Indianapolis, when her car was hit by Charles Walker, 72. He was driving a 2008 Allegro RV while pulling a horse trailer with three horses, at about 5:40 p.m., according to a release from the Indiana State Police.

That collision then caused a chain-reaction, which pushed McCormick’s car into four vehicles.

McCormick of Round Lake was taken to Wishard Hospital with life threatening injuries. Her daughter Gwendolyn, 4, and son, Quintin, 2, also were in her car. Both were taken to Riley’s Hospital for Children with life threatening injures that included severe head and face trauma, police said.

The children's father, Erik McCormick, also was in the car, but was not injured.

Walker of Knox, Ind., was trying to brake to avoid hitting traffic in front of him that had come to an abrupt stop when he accidentally accelerated instead and initiated the accident, the release said.

He then continued to push on the accelerator and pushed McCormick’s car into a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Michael Capps of Indianapolis.

Both of those vehicles then were pushed by Walker into a 2001 Nissan, driven by Jeffery Parson of Indianapolis. Those cares were pushed by Walker into a 2010 Honda Accord, driven by Kimberly Kelly of Greenwood, Ind.

Those vehicles then were pushed by Walker into a 2007 Dodge, driven by Thomas Johnson of Greenwood, Ind.

Walker was issued three traffic tickets and one warning. The tickets included driving a vehicle in the third lane of the interstate while towing a trailer, driving a vehicle-trailer combination in violation of maximum length, and speeding when required to reduce speed. The warning was for his expired trailer registration plate, police said.

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