The Town of Chesterton released the following update to their Facebook page regarding a fatal crash that occurred Saturday in Porter County. The original posts below this update are also from the Town of Chesterton Facebook page:

Victim and suspect identified in fatal crash at US 12 and Waverly Road

Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes has released the name of the victim in the fatal accident at U.S. 12 and Waverly Road on Saturday, June 21.

The victim has been identified as Saelor Guistolisi, 18, of Crown Point. Dykes determined cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Meanwhile, the Porter Police Department has identified the driver of the pickup truck from which Guistolisi was ejected as Austin Thornton, 18, also of Crown Point.

Thornton has been booked into the Porter County Jail on the following charges:

*Operating while intoxicated causing death, a Level 5 felony punishable by a term of one to six years.

*Aggressive driving resulting in death, a Level 5 felony.

*Driving while suspended resulting in death, a Level 5 felony.

*Driving while suspended resulting in bodily injury, a Level 6 felony punishable by a term of six to 30 months.

*Minor consumption of alcohol, a C misdemeanor.

*Operating a motor vehicle with no financial responsibility, a C misdemeanor.

“Charges are merely accusations and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” the PPD said.

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ORIGINALLY POSTED AT 6:20 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Passenger loses life in crash as driver faces charges

A passenger in a pickup truck lost her life this afternoon, Saturday, June 21, after it flipped at the intersection of U.S. 12 and Waverly Road, the Porter Police Department is reporting.

The driver of the pickup, an 18-year-old Crown Point man, is believed to have been intoxicated and has been taken into custody.

According to the PPD, at 2:24 p.m officers and firefighters dispatched to the scene found that the passenger, an adult woman, had been ejected from the pickup as it rolled over. She was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.

A joint PPD and Chesterton PD crash reconstruction team subsequently initiated an investigation which led to the arrest of the pickup’s driver. “Alcohol consumption and reckless driving are believed to be factors that led to the crash,” the PPD said.

“Names of the involved parties will be released at a later time pending notification of family and the filing of formal charges,” the PPD said. “This case remains under investigation.”

“The men and women of the Porter Police Department would like to extend our deepest sympathies to all that have been affected by this tragedy,” Sgt. Tom Blythe said. “We would like to thank Chesterton Police, Burns Harbor Police, Transit Police, the National Park Service, Town of Porter Fire, Northwest Health EMS, and Joe’s Towing for their assistance at this difficult scene.”

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ORIGINALLY POSTED AT 3:26 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Serious crash at intersection of US 12 and Waverly Road TODAY Saturday June 21

At 2:40 p.m. today, Saturday, June 21, the Porter Police Department responded to a serious accident at the intersection of U.S. 12 and Waverly Road.

That intersection will be closed to traffic for “an extended period of time,” the PPD said, and motorists should avoid it.

“No other information is currently available,” the PPD said.