It may be a week before investigators determine why the patrol car of a veteran sheriff’s deputy slid off U.S. 231 and flipped into Big Walnut Creek north of Greencastle.

Indiana State Police are continuing their investigation into the death of Capt. Jim Baugh, 60, who died Friday night at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Master Trooper Ken Brummett has been handling the reconstruction of the accident, in which the deputy’s southbound car went across the highway, sliding up a guardrail on the east side of the road north of the bridge.

The car hit an embankment and flipped onto its top, sliding down the rain-dampened slope into the creek.

Baugh was trapped in the car an estimated 15 minutes before being freed by rescue workers.

A memorial to Baugh has been set up in front of the Putnam County Jail where friends are leaving flowers on a parked patrol car. The flags outside the jail have been lowered to half staff.

“Nobody knows how to deal with this,” Frisbie said. “This is probably the most tragic thing that can happen.”

The Sheriff’s Office is concentrating on meeting the needs of Baugh’s family — especially wife Lauralee and sons Jason and Jerrod.

Baugh’s death was the first line-of-duty death the county has seen for its law enforcement officers, Frisbie said.

Baugh was well-known across the state as a firearms instructor at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

“There probably isn’t a law enforcement officer who’s been through the Academy who doesn’t know who Jim is,” Frisbie said.

“One thing he truly enjoyed doing was teaching at the academy,” he added.

Baugh was instrumental in founding the county’s firearms training facility west of Greencastle near the county highway department. He had earned several awards and recognition for his firearms skill

Many police officers from around the state are expected to attend Wednesday’s 11 a.m. funeral service in the Neal Fieldhouse at DePauw University’s Lilly Center.

Since the evening of Baugh’s crash, the Indiana State Police at Putnamville have assigned troopers to cover the county’s law enforcement needs. ISP radio operators will also be staffing the county dispatch center during Wednesday’s funeral service.

Officers from surrounding counties have also offered assistance in staffing the Putnam County Jail during the funeral.

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