A crash between a semi and a passenger car on the Indiana Toll Road resulted in some life-threatening injuries and one fatality, according to an Indiana State Police report.
ISP Dispatch received a call of a collision between a semi and a passenger car around 7:13 a.m. on Friday, January 12th. The accident occurred near the 50-mile marker in the westbound lanes of the Indiana Toll Road, approximately one mile east of the LaPorte exit.
The preliminary investigation by Trooper Aaron Weller indicates that a red 2013 Hyundai driven by 36-year-old Haifeng Yang of South Bend, was traveling west when Yang lost control of the vehicle.
A black 2015 Freightliner, driven by 54-year-old Edward Gray, of Lindenwold, New Jersey was also traveling westbound and could not avoid colliding with the Hyundai.According to the report, the Freightliner hit the Hyundai on the right side, sending it into the north ditch. The Freightliner came to a rest in the center median and Gray was uninjured in the crash.
However, Yang received serious injuries and was transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend. A front seat passenger in the Hyundai, 62-year-old Qinglian Li of Shanghai, China, received serious and life-threatening injuries. Li was transported to LaPorte Hospital and was then transferred to Christ Advocate Hospital in Chicago.
A two-year-old riding in the left rear seat was securely fastened in a child seat and was uninjured. The right rear side passenger, 63-year-old Jucai Li, of Shanghai, China, was pronounced deceased at the scene by the LaPorte County Coroner. The Li family has been notified.
The Indiana Toll Road remained opened while reconstruction of the crash was completed by Indiana State Police Reconstructionist, Trooper Lawrence McFarrin. Though the accident remains under investigation, alcohol or drugs are not suspected as factors in this crash.
The Indiana State Police were assisted at the crash scene by the LaPorte County Coroner, ITRCC Maintenance and LaPorte County Fire and EMS.
