SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind – Sullivan County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to truck/motorcycle crash near North Central High School, around 4:30 AM Wednesday morning.

30 year old Travis Pitcher of Shelburn, was driving southbound on US41, when he came upon a southbound off road motorcycle driven by a 16 year old.

The bike had no taillights and was not street legal.

Pitcher swerved but sideswiped the slower moving motorcycle, instantly ejecting the teen from the bike.

The motorcycle tumbled down the roadway, as Pitcher veered off the right side of the roadway.

It was initially unclear where the motorcyclist may have been thrown.

As the motorcycle came to rest in the roadway, a southbound pickup truck, being driven by Steven Parker of Paris, IL, struck the motorcycle.

Upon impact, the fuel tank ruptured, and the motorcycle exploded underneath Parker’s truck.

Parker was able to stop and escape the pickup, before being injured.

The 16-year-old male could not initially be found.

Sheriff’s officials and firefighters, fearing the motorcyclist could have been killed or seriously injured, searched the crash scene, looking under vehicles, in ditches and nearby fields with flashlights.

Approximately ten minutes later, deputies spotted a teen walking southbound, about a half mile south of the crash scene.

The teen, who was injured, admitted to driving the motorcycle, however he reported to police that he was scared and hurting, so he took off on foot.

Sullivan County Ambulance transported the teen to Terre Haute Regional Hospital Emergency Room.

The teen was admitted with head, shoulder and leg injuries; however, his injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

Southbound US41 was closed for approximately one hour, as investigators pieced together the sequence of events.

Both Pitcher and Parker were not injured, and they were not issued citations.

The investigation is continuing regarding what traffic citations the teen may face.