A 33-year-old Merrillville woman was killed early Monday morning after an SUV crashed into a concrete barrier near Cline Avenue and I-80, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff’s officers were dispatched to the area around 12:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7, for a report of a serious crash.

A preliminary investigation indicates a Ford Explorer was traveling southbound on Cline Avenue approaching the I-80 exit ramps when it struck a concrete barrier. The SUV then slid along the top of the wall and struck a light pole, knocking it from its mounting before eventually coming to rest on Cline Avenue.

A 33-year-old Merrillville woman who was riding as a passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead. Police said she was not wearing a seatbelt. The Lake County Coroner identified the woman as Nicole Loya, 33, of Merrillville.

The driver, identified by police as a 32-year-old Lake Station man, was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Investigators are working to determine whether alcohol and excessive speed contributed to the crash, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and authorities said no additional information is being released at this time.