Bridge To Reopen Today After Crash In St. John
On Sunday, 3/28/21 at about 8:50 pm, St. John Police were dispatched to a motor vehicle crash just west of Park Place on 101st Ave, according to Spokesman Roger Patz.
On arrival, officers noted that it was a single vehicle crash. A 2013 Ford Escape struck a cement drainage bridge.
Officers called for the fire department and ambulance because the vehicle was on fire and they observed a person laying in the roadway, Patz stated. The fire department extinguished the fire which was caused by leaking fluids igniting on impact.
The sole occupant at the time of the crash was Jorge Mendez, a 27 year old male from Cedar Lake. The driver was able to pull himself from the vehicle. Officers dragged the driver away from the burning vehicle. He was transported to the hospital by St. John EMS. The extent of the driver’s injuries is unknown at this time.
The force of the impact pushed the engine of the vehicle into the passenger compartment and caused damage to the older concrete bridge structure.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation but the preliminary findings show that speed was a factor.
St. John Public Works is in the process of making repairs to the structure and it is expected to be open for travel later this afternoon.
