LaPorte Man Killed In Wrong Way Crash On Toll Road
LAPORTE COUNTY-
Monday evening at 5:05 p.m., the Indiana State Police Toll Road received 911 calls of a vehicle crash at the 40.6 mile-marker involving a tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle was reportedly traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes prior to the crash. Preliminary investigation by Trooper Nathan Littlefield shows that a white 2000 Ford Ranger was westbound in the passing lane of eastbound I-80 (Indiana Toll Road). A 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer, operated by Black Horse Carriers, was eastbound in the passing lane. The two vehicles impacted head-on. The Freightliner came to a rest in the median, while the Ford Ranger crossed across the median before coming to a rest in the left lane of the westbound lanes. The driver of the Ford Ranger, Richard D. Reese, 57, from LaPorte, IN, was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaPorte County Coroner. Family notification of the deceased has been made. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Ivan N. Dimitrovski, 28, from Crown Point, IN, was not injured. The semi was loaded with approximately 20,000 lbs. of bread. Toxicology results are pending.
The left lane was closed for approximately 5 hours for investigation and cleanup. Assisting at the scene were the LaPorte County EMS, Westville Fire Department, Center Twp. Fire Department, Cloverleaf Towing and the Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction Team.
