LA PORTE COUNTY — A motorcyclist was killed Thursday morning after crossing the center line of US Highway 20 and colliding head-on with a semi-truck in La Porte County, according to the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office.

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, at approximately 6:45 a.m., deputies were dispatched to the 2300 East block of US Highway 20 in Kankakee Township for a reported two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and a semi-truck.

Deputy David Francis arrived at the scene and discovered a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle had collided head-on with a 2026 Freightliner semi-tractor.

According to the preliminary investigation, the Harley-Davidson was traveling eastbound on US 20 and was reportedly being operated erratically before crossing the center line into the path of the westbound Freightliner. The semi was being driven by 41-year-old Joseph Muller of Goshen, Indiana.

The impact proved fatal for the motorcycle operator, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet been able to identify the deceased rider.

Investigators also discovered that the Harley-Davidson had been reported stolen just one day before the fatal crash. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the motorcycle was entered as stolen through the Coloma Police Department in Michigan on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Toxicology testing is pending as investigators continue working to determine the circumstances leading up to the collision. The Sheriff’s Office is also seeking assistance from the public in identifying the deceased motorcyclist.

Anyone who may have information regarding the rider’s identity or the circumstances surrounding the crash is encouraged to contact La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Detectives Captain Andy Hynek at 219-326-7700, extension 2401, or by email at ahynek@lcso.in.gov.

The investigation involved multiple members of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, including Captains Dallas Smythe and Jeff Wright, Deputies Justin Phillips and William Masterson, Detective Sergeant James Lear, and Detectives Joe Walker, Evan Doperalski, Derrick Deck, and Alex Pishkur.

Additional assistance was provided by the Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Division, La Porte County EMS, Kankakee Township Volunteer Fire Department, La Porte County Coroner’s Office, and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

The crash remains under investigation as authorities work to establish the motorcyclist’s identity and await toxicology results.