Joliet Man Charged With OWI After Rollover Semi Crash on I-94 in Porter County
Jose Luis Garcia, 24, of Joliet, Illinois, is facing multiple criminal and traffic charges in Porter County following a rollover crash involving a commercial semi-truck on Interstate 94.
According to court records, officers were dispatched at approximately 1:42 a.m. on January 3, 2026, to a rollover semi crash at the 30.4-mile marker of eastbound Interstate 94 in Porter County. Officers from the Porter Police Department arrived on scene first and located the driver, who was later identified as Garcia. Indiana State Police troopers responded shortly afterward and assumed the investigation.
Court documents state Garcia was yelling and making a scene when initially contacted by officers. When troopers later spoke with him inside an ambulance, they reported detecting a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. Officers also observed bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred and mumbled speech, and unsteady balance.
Garcia told officers he was the only person in the vehicle and stated that he dozed off and ran off the roadway. A portable breath test administered at approximately 2:14 a.m. reportedly returned a result of 0.135 percent BrAC. Due to the severity of the crash, standardized field sobriety tests were not conducted.
Court records further state that while standing and speaking with a trooper, Garcia began apologizing for everything to everyone, including apologizing to the Porter Police officers he had initially been yelling at.
Court documents indicate Garcia refused Indiana implied consent testing, prompting officers to obtain a search warrant for a blood draw, which was later executed at a Chesterton hospital. Garcia was medically cleared and transported to the Porter County Jail.
Charges filed January 6,2026:
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person – Class A Misdemeanor
• Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated – Class C Misdemeanor
• Unsafe Lane Movement – Infraction
• No Operator’s License in Possession – Infraction
• Operating a Commercial Vehicle Without a CDL – Infraction
• Operating With Expired Plates – Infraction
• Operating a Motor Vehicle With a Fictitious Plate – Infraction
• Failure to Display or Obtain Motor Fuel Tax Emblem or Permit – Infraction
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Violation – Infraction (multiple counts)
