Indianapolis Bus Crash Claims 3 Lives, Others Hurt

Three members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church died when a bus crashed in a crash on I-465 at Keystone Avenue during a return trip to Indianapolis Saturday.

WISH-TV

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Tragedy occurred on a busy Indianapolis road when a charter bus crashed into a median wall, killing and injuring people aboard Saturday.

Thirty-seven members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church were on the bus coming home from summer camp in Michigan. The vehicle it slammed into a median getting off of Interstate 465 at Keystone Avenue. The driver has told police the brakes failed. 

The church is mourning the loss of three of its members killed in the crash. Deacon Jeff Leffew spoke about the loss of Tonya Weindorf, youth pastor Chad Phelps, his wife Courtney, and the couple’s unborn child.

“Our church grieves now. We don’t grieve necessarily because of the loss, but we grieve the fact that they are not here with us. We miss them,” Leffew said.

Weindorf was a mother of five. Chad Phelps was the son of the church’s pastor, Charles Phelps. He and his wife were expecting their second child in August. The couple’s first child was on the bus, but was not injured.

As many as eight people injured in Saturday's crash are still in the hospital. One person that was in critical condition at IU Health Methodist Hospital was upgraded to good condition Monday morning. Two others are in good condition. 

Leffew says donations will be collected for those injured in the accident. 

“All these folks are special to us as members here, as friends. They’re going to have a long road, but God is good,” Leffew said.

The church has posted the following message on its Facebook page:

“Thank you all for your tremendous outpouring of love and strength stated here and in numerous other ways.Through your prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit, the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be magnified as His people find Him to be sufficient even now.”