Lieutenant Gary Dudley and Deputy Chief Gary Martin, of the Lake County Sheriff's Department, were struck and killed while they were participating in a charity bicycle ride for the Indiana chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors.
Both officers were representing their agencies while riding with seven other active and retired officers and one civilian survivor on a 102-mile leg on the seventh day of the 13-day, 1,058-mile bike ride that traveled the perimeter of the state.
The cyclists were riding southbound on State Road 63 about two miles south of Interstate 74 near Perrysville. At about 12:30 pm, the driver of a freight truck rear-ended their support van. The van, which was then pushed into the group of riders, had a large banner warning of the cyclists and was using flashing amber lights at the time of the collision.
Lieutenant Dudley and Deputy Chief Martin died at the scene as a result of their injuries. One of the other cyclists and the drivers of both vehicles were injured.
Lieutenant Dudley had served with the Indiana State Police for over 26½ years and was assigned to the training division. Since 2005, he had been the commander of the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. He began his career assigned to the Lowell post and was twice awarded the Life Saving Award, in 1989 and 1992. Lieutenant Dudley was survived by his wife, father and brother.
In 2007, State Road 63 from State Road 32 to Interstate 74 in Vermillion County was dedicated the Gary E. Dudley and Gary L. Martin Memorial Highway in their honor.
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