The INDOT Hoosier Helper Safety Service Patrol sponsored by GEICO benefits hundreds of motorists each day. From providing emergency roadside aid to assisting at accident scenes – and even responding to a possible child abduction – the Hoosier Helper program sponsored by GEICO makes a difference on Indiana interstates.
Has a Hoosier Helper made a difference in your life? Let us know! Visit www.SafetyPatrolInfo.com and/or Email INDOTCommunications@indot.in.gov with your story! You can also post to social media using #GEICOSafetyPatrol.
Hoosier Helpers sponsored by GEICO are dispatched from the INDOT Traffic Management Center.
Hoosier Helpers Assist in Stopping Possible Abduction
On April 30, 2019, Indiana State Police in Lowell, Ind., dispatched an advisory regarding a possible child abduction, and that the subject vehicle was a Lincoln with Alabama plates. About a minute after the ISP dispatch was received, a Hoosier Helper driver traveling northbound on I-65 believed he spotted the suspect vehicle traveling southbound on the interstate. He advised the INDOT’s Gary Traffic Management Center, and dispatchers there immediately started scanning INDOT highway cameras for the vehicle. When they located the suspect vehicle, they contacted ISP and continued to keep ISP updated on the vehicle location. ISP caught up to the vehicle and the child was safely recovered.
“I cannot count the number of times that the TMC dispatchers and the Hoosier Helpers have worked hand-in-hand with each other and with other agencies to make a positive difference in someone’s life. This story is a prime example of this. I couldn’t be more proud to help supervise this team of dispatchers and work with this group of Hoosier Helpers.”
‒ Crissie Kohues, TMC Operations Manager, INDOT
Hoosier Helpers Team Up with Police Officers, Firefighters
“Hammond Firefighters handle one of the busiest highways in the country and the most dangerous stretch of highway in the State of Indiana. The help that police and firefighters receive from the Hoosier Helpers is second to none. I am going to say that every single day there are Hoosier Helpers assisting us on accidents. I could never express how happy that we are to have the extra set of lights slowing down traffic and another vehicle to be a barrier for our safety.”
‒ Michael Hull, Hammond Fire Department