Alcohol may be a factor in a single-vehicle crash on I-80/94 in Hammond that claimed the life of a Merrillville man.

The collision happened around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, on an on-ramp to Cline Avenue.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a 2004 Ford Taurus, identified as G.W. McNeil Jr., 39, was exiting off of west bound I-80/94 to south bound Cline Ave when, for unknown reasons, he ran off the roadway just before the curve on the ramp, hitting the concrete barrier wall between the ramp and the highway.

The vehicle then traveled against the barrier wall where it struck and, then, a sign and a concrete bridge support pillar head-on.

Two drivers and a Griffith police officer arrived and attempted to assist McNeil,  but could not get him out of the vehicle due to the extensive front end damage. Hammond Fire and EMS arrived and had to use the Jaws of Life and other tools to remove McNeil, who was pronounced dead at the scene.