STORY UPDATE

The driver of the 2007 Volvo has been identified as David C. Sturgis, 53 of Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Family has been notified.  Sturgis was driving for Dalli Trucking Incorporated out of Greendale, Wisconsin.

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INITIAL PRESS RELEASE

An early morning crash, this morning, involving two semis, resulted in the death of one of the drivers.

Preliminary investigation, by Trooper Nicole Maenza, revealed at approximately 2:50 a.m., this Friday, February 16, 2018, morning, a semi pulling two trailers for R L Carriers out of Wilmington, Ohio, and being driven by a thirty-seven year old man from Heartland, Wisconsin, had just got onto I-94 west bound from exit 40 (this is the US20/US 35 ramp) in La Porte when one of his trailers became detached.  The trailer, a 2016 Great Dane, loaded with wood flooring and general freight came to rest on the outer shoulder but the left rear of the trailer was partially in the right lane of I-94. The driver was able to pull his tractor and front trailer off on the outer shoulder and were not involved in the crash

A 2007 Volvo pulling a box trailer was west bound in the right lane when he hit the rear of the detached trailer.  This caused the cab from the Volvo to come off the tractor frame and the detached trailer roll over onto its left side.  The Great Dane trailer split open and its contents were strewn across parts of the interstate.  The tractor frame and its trailer remained upright and no load was lost from its trailer.

The driver of the Volvo was pronounced dead at the scene by the La Porte County Coroner of massive blunt force trauma.  Family has NOT been notified.

Purportedly there were no emergency triangles put out behind the detached trailer.

All west bound traffic was diverted off at exit 40 (US20/US35) until approximately 5:00 a.m., where the left lane and inner shoulder were open.  It is expected the right and middle lane to be closed for removal of the semis, reconstruction of the crash, and clean-up of the roadway.

Assisting: Senior Trooper Lawrence McFarrin, Troopers Nedal Nabhan, William Carlson, James Brasseur, and Timothy Borsa, La Porte County Sheriff’s Department, La Porte Fire and EMS, La Porte County Coroner, INDOT, and Cloverleaf Towing