Two deadly crashes on toll road early Saturday Created by jzimney on 2/4/2012 11:31:15 AM Pin It Indiana State Police Troopers responded to two deadly crahes on the Indiana Toll Road in Porter County early Saturday morning.
CRASH ONE:
At approximately 12:30 am, Indiana State Police Trooper Roxanne Robinson responded to a crash on the Toll Road, at the 33.8 mile marker, where a semi driver lost his life.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban pulling a Shadow twelve foot horse trailer was west bound on the Indiana Toll Road, in the right lane, at the 33.8 mile marker (this is just east of State Road 49/Chesterton exit) when the horse trailer broke free for unknown reasons from the Suburban. The horse trailer left the roadway, went through the median, and crossed up into the east bound lanes. The horse trailer was empty.
A 2012 International semi pulling double trailers was east bound when it hit the horse trailer. A piece of the horse trailer broke off after being hit and went through the windshield striking the semi driver. The driver lost control of the semi; it left the roadway, went through the median, went across the west bound lanes, left the roadway again, and came to rest in the north ditch. The semi and the trailers stayed upright and no load was lost.
The driver of the semi was pronounced dead at the scene by the Porter County Coroner from blunt force trauma. The driver has been identified as Julio Zatina, 50 of Bridgeview, Illinois. He was driving for United Parcel Service (UPS) out of Chicago, Illinois.
The driver of the Chevrolet Suburban, Rick A. Bullis, 42 of Wood Dale, Illinois, was not injured.
CRASH TWO:
At approximately 4:30 am, a 1999 GMC Savannah van was west bound on the Toll Road, in the right lane, at the 21.9 mile marker (this is approximately 1 mile west of the Portage Toll Plaza/exit) when it lost control on the snow/icy roads.
The GMC van spun out into the left lane where a 2007 Freightliner semi pulling a flatbed trailer hit the van broadside in the driver’s door. The Freightliner, owned by Burnham Trucking Company out of East Chicago, Indiana, was not loaded. The driver, Michael A. Mosher, 57, of Portage, was taken to Porter Hospital in Portage and treated and released for complaint of pain to his neck. Mosher was cited for a log book violation.
The driver of the GMC van was pronounced dead at the scene by the Porter County Coroner of blunt force trauma. The driver was identified as Pierre Louise DeVaugh Smith, 26 of Hammond, Indiana.
