DECATUR COUNTY — A 16-year-old is accused of throwing a rock through the windshield of a FedEx truck knocking the driver unconscious on an Indiana interstate in April.
The incident happened in the early morning hours of April 23 on I-74 in Decatur County.
Travis Hampton was driving on I-74 in Decatur County in the early morning hours of April 23 when a rock came through his windshield and struck him in the face. The force caused Hampton to drive off the road and into the median.
Arriving officers found Hampton "semi-conscious" in the driver seat of the semi and suffering from significant injuries to his head.
"We received numerous tips from the public and with that information we received we were eventually able to identify two minors who were involved," Decatur County Sheriff Bill Meyerrose said during a press conference Thursday afternoon.
Meyerrose said one 16-year-old has been taken into custody because of the incident.
"We do not believe there is any further danger to the public," he said.
Hampton's 9-year-old daughter, Sha'lon Sharp, was with him in the semi and able to call 911 for help after her father crashed.
She was honored for her lifesaving actions that night by the Decatur County Communications and other local offices.
"Sha'lon was able to verify for dispatchers that her father was breathing, was able to describe the semi and was able to confirm that a rock had hit the semi," Erika Free, Director for Decatur County Communications said during the press conference.
Free awarded Sharp a plaque honoring her as as "911 Hero".
"In an earlier interview with the media Travis Hampton stated he was just thankful that his daughter was there to call someone and everyone in this room today echoes those same sentiments," Free said.
Hampton also spoke to the media, thanking the dispatchers and emergency personnel for helping save his life that night.
