A Nashville woman died in a crash on Interstate 65 in Columbus Wednesday when the vehicle she was riding in was crushed between two semis.

47-year-old Melissa S. Morris died at about 12:05 p.m. when the pickup she was riding in was hit from behind by a tanker truck driven by 54-year-old Jon W. Harris of Crawsfordsville while traffic was stopped for a previous accident, says Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of the Indiana State Police. The collision forced the pickup under the trailer of a semi driven by 35-year-old Charledrix N. Green of Atlanta, Ga., which was also stopped for the previous accident.

The driver of the pickup, 52-year-old Randall F. Brown of Nashville and an unidentified female passenger were also trapped in the wreckage and had to be rescued by Columbus firefighters. The rescue took more than an hour and they both were flown by IU Lifeline helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Wheeles said they believe they know the uniidentified passenger in Brown’s truck but they are waiting for verification of her identity.

Morris was pronounced dead at the scene by the Bartholomew County Coroner’s office.

Green, Harris and a passenger in Green’s truck were taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Traffic in the area was already slowed by several previous accidents. At one point, Bartholomew County emergency dispatchers requested drivers to avoid southbound Interstate 65 through Columbus altogether while rescue crews were working at the scene. Wheeles said it took about four hours to clear the highway after the fatal accident.

Trooper. Matt Holley was assisted at the scene by numerous other troopers and motor carrier inspectors with the Indiana State Police, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Columbus Fire Department, Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office, Columbus Regional EMS, Lifeline Helicopter, and 31 Wrecker.