Alabama Trucker Charged With OWI Causing Serious Injury After Semi Overturns On I-94 In LaPorte County
LaPorte County- A 51-year-old Alabama truck driver, Joseph Edward Shirley Jr., has been formally charged in LaPorte County after investigators say he admitted to drinking “about ten beers” while driving before a multi-vehicle crash that left another driver seriously injured on I-94.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the crash occurred on October 23, 2025, along I-94 eastbound near the 38-mile marker. When Indiana State Police troopers arrived, they found a white 2025 Volvo semi-tractor and trailer overturned on its driver’s side, blocking all eastbound lanes. Deputies from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department were already on scene with Shirley, who was in handcuffs and identified himself as the driver.
Shirley reportedly told officers he had been drinking while driving from Davenport, Iowa, and estimated he had consumed approximately ten beers from a twelve-pack. He stated he had been on the road for about ten hours before the crash occurred.
Court documents indicate multiple vehicles struck the overturned semi, and one driver had to be extricated and transported for treatment. That driver later was found to have a broken leg, which prosecutors classified as a serious bodily injury caused by Shirley’s alleged intoxicated operation.
Investigators noted Shirley’s slurred speech, glassy eyes, and strong odor of alcohol. A portable breath test returned a reading of 0.147 BAC, and a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test was positive for impairment. A certified blood draw was performed later at the hospital, with results pending at the time the affidavit was filed.
Charges filed November 4,2025:
• Level 5 Felony – Causing Serious Bodily Injury When Operating a Motor Vehicle With an ACE of .08 or More
• Class A Misdemeanor – Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person
• Class C Misdemeanor – Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated
