A rural LaPorte County man is in serious condition after allegedly crashing a pickup truck into the side of a moving train while over three times the legal limit for alcohol. Police say it happened just after 8:00 a.m. Sunday about five miles south of Michigan City.
According to the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, Kyle Resetar, 27, was driving a 2000 GMC truck northbound on Holmesville Road. A witness who was waiting at the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing told police that the truck went around him, did not brake, and hit the side of a train car.
Investigators say it was the 63rd car of an 82-car train. It was a tanker car carrying oil. The train was traveling eastbound at 50 miles per hour at the time, and the impact reportedly knocked the pickup truck about 50 yards from the roadway.
Resetar was taken to Franciscan St. Anthony’s Hospital in Michigan City with a broken arm, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. Officers say a preliminary test showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.28 percent.
Resetar was cited for disregarding the train crossing signal. Police also plan to file charges for Operating While Intoxicated.
