A Valparaiso man riding a bicycle was killed after he was struck by a vehicle.
The crash happened around 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, on US 421 at County Road 200 South near the Purdue North Central campus in LaPorte County, according to Capt. Mike Kellums with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department.
The crash happened when a Michigan City man driving Mazda was traveling north on US 421 and stuck the victim, identified as Drew Schmidt, 30,who was riding a bicycle, Kellems said.
Based on a statement from a witness as well as evidence at the scene, deputies believe that Schmidt was riding in a dark portion of roadway where there are no street lights, Kellums stated.
The victim that was riding the bicycle and was killed has been identified as 30-year-old Drew Schmidt from Valparaiso, Indiana.
Toxicology testing showed that Schmidt had the presence of opioids in his system, according to the LaPorte County Coroner’s office. However, its not clear whether Schmidt had a prescription for any opioid drugs.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the bicycle tested negative for alcohol and was not cited for any traffic violations.