Lake County-Indiana State Police Master Trooper Brian White responded to a crash, this afternoon, on I-80 east bound at the 13 mile marker (this is just west of Central Avenue) where a car went partially under a semi trailer.

Preliminary investigation revealed that, at approximately 1:35 p.m., a 2006 Toyota, driven by William M Hutchins, 56, of Hobart, was coming from the I-65/Central entrance ramp when he failed to merge before the lane ended, resulting in his vehicle sideswiping a semi then going underneath its’ trailer.

The 2013 Freightliner semi pulling a box trailer, driven by Guadalupe Gonzalez, 41 of Chicago, was in the far right lane when it was hit by the Toyota.  The semi, owned by Splash Transport out of South Bend, was carrying 44,005 pounds of assorted flavors of soft drinks.  The load was headed to South Bend coming from Northlake, Illinois.  No load was loss.

Hutchins was taken to Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Hobart with non-life threatening injuries to his head.  Gonzalez was not injured.

Assisting:  Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Sergeant Wanda Clay, Indiana Department of Transportation Hoosier Helpers, Gary Fire and EMS and Waffco Towing

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.