Griffith Jr.
SHELBY COUNTY — A Shelby County sheriff deputy died in a motorcycle accident Wednesday morning on I-74 near State Road 9.
Shelby County Sheriff Louie Koch identified the motorcyclist as Deputy Jay L. Griffith Jr.
Griffith, 37, Shelbyville, was off duty at the time of the accident, Koch said. He began his career with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department in June of 2013.
“Deputy Griffith’s passing is an immense loss to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and our community in which he lived and served. I want to share my condolences with Jay’s family friends and colleagues, he will be greatly missed,” Koch said.
Investigators said Shelby County Sheriff deputies and Indiana State Police troopers were sent to the crash at 3:38 a.m. Wednesday. When deputies arrived they found an adult male pinned under the motorcycle, and he was unconscious and unresponsive, deputies said. Despite life saving efforts by first responders, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police crash reconstructionists determined the motorcyclist was westbound on I-74 and exited onto the ramp to State Road 9. For unknown reasons the motorcyclist applied the brakes and began to skid. The motorcycle fell over and trapped the rider underneath, deputies said. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet.
Shelby County Coroner Bradley Rund said information about cause and manner of death is pending completion of an autopsy.
