A morning collision between an SUV and a semi-truck sent one person to the hospital Wednesday after a lane merge led to a crash on U.S. Highway 20 near County Road 9.
The incident occurred around 8:39 a.m. as both vehicles were traveling eastbound. The SUV was in the inside lane approaching a construction zone, where barrels directed drivers to merge into the outside lane. According to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the SUV attempted to shift lanes and collided with the front driver-side tire of the semi-truck in the outside lane.
The impact caused the SUV to lose control and run off the south side of the roadway, eventually coming to rest in a ditch.
The SUV driver, a 55-year-old woman from Rolling Prairie, was wearing a seatbelt and reported shoulder pain. She was transported to Elkhart General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver, a 46-year-old man from North Webster, was not injured.
Accounts of the incident differ. The SUV driver claimed the truck attempted to force her off the road, while the truck driver stated the SUV tried to merge ahead of him to avoid construction barrels.
