‘It’s just horrible’: Danville mourns man killed by live power line after Wednesday’s storms

DANVILLE, Ind. — As people in Danville clean up from Wednesday night’s storms, they’re also mourning a man who died amid the destruction. The Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office says 27-year-old Nathan Merritt crashed into downed power lines while driving on CR 75 W, his car caught fire and he stepped outside onto a live wire.

“Wind, rain, low visibility, it’s dark, it’s out in the county,” said Captain Jim Yetter with the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office. “You don’t see it until it’s upon you.”

Captain Jim Yetter says the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating what the National Weather Service has called an “indirect weather fatality,” the only one in Indiana during Wednesday’s storms. He added that downed power lines are difficult to see at night, especially on county roads.

“All the evidence would indicate that this young man, driving down the road, comes across this situation, probably not being able to see it until he was on top of it, and then having it have this kind of impact where he loses his life due to it – it just shows you that storms can be so dangerous in so many different ways,” Yetter said. “That’s why, if you can, stay home.”

“I was just talking to him less than 24 hours ago, and now I won’t ever get to speak to him again,” Rachel Alatza said.

Rachel Alatza, a close friend of Merritt’s, says she spoke with him shortly before he began to drive home from Plainfield.

“I said, ‘Are you okay?’ He said, ‘yeah, I’m okay,’” Alatza recalled. “Little did I know, a friend called me and told me that he passed. I just couldn’t believe it.”

She says Merritt had a young son and was loved deeply by all who knew him. And though the worst of the storms have passed for now, his loss will leave an impact on the community he loved right back.

“His laugh sits in my head all day now. His smile will always brighten me,” Alatza said. “These are dangerous situations. I was in it myself, just driving home. I think some people think they can make it home, but some people just don’t get out.”

In a press release, the Danville Fire Department said, in part, “As we reflect on this unfortunate incident, our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the individual involved. We urge the community to remain vigilant and prioritize safety, especially during adverse weather conditions that can lead to such tragic consequences.”

As clean-up efforts continue, officials are asking those in Danville and elsewhere in Hendricks County to give crews and first responders plenty of space to work, and reach out if you come across any more downed power lines.