I-74 crash victims thank Dearborn County deputy

Deputy goes above and beyond for Batesville couple

(WEST HARRISON, Ind.) – A Batesville couple was traveling eastbound on I-74 near West Harrison when the unthinkable happened on Saturday afternoon. 

Holly Nichols and her husband, Scott, were driving when a vehicle in front of them struck debris in the road and lost control.

“We thought the tire blew out but we later learned that the guy hit a tire on the road and lost control,” Holly Nichols said. 

They quickly realized they were going to collide with the vehicle. 

“I started praying because I knew I couldn’t do anything. I was hitting the brakes and thought about speeding up, but I realized there was nowhere I could go,” Nichols said. 

The two vehicles collided and the car Nichols was driving came to a stop in the right lane. 

Holly said it was a miracle that another vehicle didn’t hit them when they were stopped. 

She recalls the first responders arriving at the scene within a few minutes.

One first responder that stuck out to Nichols was Dearborn County Deputy Richie Lay. 

“I remember how he was not intrusive, he didn’t demand to see our license or anything, he was very kind and and emphatic,” Nichols said. 

She and her husband suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Their car was totaled. 

Reality began to set in when she started to wonder how they were going to get back home to Batesville. 

That’s when Deputy Lay volunteered to drive the couple home. 

“There wasn’t a lot of chatting in the car but enough to know that this officer was a really good person,” she recalls. 

The couple says they are lucky to be alive and also want to commend Deputy Lay for going above and beyond when they needed help the most. 

“I really want him to know that what he does everyday, truly matters,” she said. 

“I cannot put a value on the kindness, and willingness to serve, that he showed us while remaining very professional,” she said. "The negativity that police have to see on a daily basis. If we can do anything, I want them to know what they do matters."

This isn’t the first time Deputy Richie Lay has been noticed for his service. Here’s what he did earlier this year.