A rollover crash in LaPorte County left one person with possible injuries Monday. LaPorte County Police say it happened around noon at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Wilhelm Road.
Officers believe Juan P. Martinez, 69, of Port St. Lucie, Florida was driving a semi east on U.S. 20, when he tried to pass a LaPorte County Highway Department truck, which turned left. The collision caused the semi to roll onto its left side, coming to a rest in the highway’s westbound lanes. A steel coil the semi was carrying on its flatbed trailer apparently came loose and damaged the highway’s shoulder.
The driver of the Highway Department truck, Richard A. Lambert, 66, of LaPorte, complained of pain in his elbow and lower arm. Martinez told police that he was in the passing lane when the crash occurred, but Lambert and a possible witness said Martinez had crossed the double yellow line and was actually in the westbound lanes.
Police believe unsafe lane movement was the primary cause of the crash.
