NAPOLEON, Ind. (WISH) — A 47-year-old Indianapolis man died in a head-on collision with a semitractor-trailer on Wednesday morning in southeastern Decatur County, Indiana State Police say.

Joseph L. Arthur died in the crash reported just before 7 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. 421 near County Road 700 East. That’s a rural area with a few homes just northwest of the Decatur County border with Ripley County, and about a 15-minute drive southeast of the city of Greensburg.

Investigators think Arthur was driving a 2010 Pontiac “passenger vehicle” southbound on U.S. 421 when, for an unknown reason, he lost control, crossed the centerline, and collided with a northbound 2014 Freightliner semi pulling a trailer, according to a news release issued Wednesday night from state police.

Michael S. Olsen, 55, of Charlotte, Michigan, was driving the semi, which burst into flames after the crash. He exited the semi with minor injuries, state police say.

Crash reconstructionists, who had not completed their work as of Wednesday night, believe speed may have been a factor in the fatal crash.

U.S. 421 was closed in both directions for about five hours for the crash investigation and cleanup.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-7) were no match for the red-hot Detroit Lions (10-1), as the Colts fell to the NFC’s top team 24-6.

Self-inflicted wounds were the theme of the day for Indy. The offensive line committed five penalties, wiping away big plays while allowing a 46% pressure rate on the day. The tight ends also did not have a banner day, dropping passes and not executing when given the opportunity.

Ultimately, the supporting cast around Anthony Richardson made too many mistakes for the team to overcome, resulting in the worst loss of the season for Indy.

Because of the brutal loss, the Colts saw a drop in the Week 13 ESPN NFL power rankings. The Colts fell from 19th to 21st in the rankings, dropping below the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) at 20th. Indy is the only 5-7 team in the league, but the Bengals are ranked higher despite having a worse record.

By falling to 21st, ESPN believes the Colts are a bottom-third team in the NFL this season. It is hard to argue with that fact, as the Colts have largely lost to better teams in the league while taking care of business against the bad teams. The Colts only have one win against a team with a winning record this season, a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3).

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Included with the power rankings, the NFL Nation reporters were asked to look at the ESPN Analytics’Football Power Index (FPI) rankings for offense, defense, and special teams, and assess if the rankings portray an accurate picture of the team. Here are the current FPI rankings for the Colts:

Offense: 22nd
Defense: 20th
Special Teams: 13th

Holder believes these rankings to be fairly accurate for what the Colts have produced this season.

“These rankings seem about right when looking at the Colts’ inconsistent results and current 1-4 stretch,” Holder wrote. “They have shown flashes of promise in all areas, but there are fundamental issues undermining every phase of their team. The offensive line is suddenly an issue, which is severely limiting what was a solid running game. Defensively, the Colts are 17th in scoring defense (22.8 points), but that’s offset by giving up 375.8 yards per game (28th). Special teams would be better if not for kicker Matt Gay’s occasional misses (his 87.5% field goal percentage ranks 21st).”

The Colts will look to climb both the power rankings and FPI rankings this Sunday when they take on the New England Patriots (3-9). A win before their bye week would go a long way toward getting the Colts back on track.

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Circle of Lights will return the day after Thanksgiving to celebrate its 62nd anniversary. The beloved Indianapolis tradition, presented by IBEW Local 481, turns Monument Circle into a giant Christmas tree.

Each year, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 481 assemble the lights and decorations. Look for more than 50 strands of lights that include more than 4,000 LED-colored lights. The tradition dates back to 1962, though the monument was decorated for Christmas annually for more than a decade before that.

Here’s what to know about this year’s performers, street closures, times and festivities.

Who will perform in 2024

Still fresh off his win on Season 19 of America’s Got Talent, Richard Goodall, a school janitor from Terre Haute, will sing at the celebration. The performances also will include local performers and musical acts chosen from the Tom Wood Talent Search.

This year, the performance stage will be on the north side of the Circle because of construction on the south steps of Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

The Hoosier who won big: Richard Goodall chased dreams on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ And then he got back to work.

After Circle of Lights, Spark Holidays on the Circle will hold additional free activities within the northwest bollards of Monument Circle. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22, look for musical performances, appearances from Santa Claus and hot cocoa and coffee for purchase.

When is Circle of Lights?

The festivities begin at 6 p.m., and the winner of the AES Coloring Contest will help Santa turn on the lights just after 6:50 p.m. The event will air on WTHR Ch. 13.

What streets will be closed for Circle of Lights?

Between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Friday, Monument Circle and all of its spokes will be closed to vehicles, according to Downtown Indy’s weekly traffic alert. Closures on Friday include:

• Meridian Street between Ohio and Washington Streets,
• Market Street between Pennsylvania and Illinois Streets,
• a partial closure of Meridian’s northbound land between Maryland and Pearl Streets from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

People can enter and exit Circle of Lights from Market Street on the east and west sides as well as on the Circle’s south side off Washington Street. The ADA drop-off area will be on Market Street, and those who need accessibility will be directed to a dedicated viewing area.

The stage, on the north side of the Circle this year, will face the monument. No one will be able to access the event from the north side of the Circle.

Want to see more lights? 6 big Christmas light displays in and around Indianapolis in 2024

How long will Circle of Lights be up?

The public can see the lights each night for free through Jan. 10.

From 5 a.m. Jan. 11 to 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17, the inner curb lane of Monument Circle will be partially closed to remove the lights.

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.