Hammond, Lake County-The Indiana State Police Toll Road District is covering a fatal crash on I-80/90 (Toll Road) at the .09 mile marker (this is approximately 2/10 mile east of the West Point Toll Plaza/Indiana-Illinois border) that have east bound lanes coming into Indiana closed.
Preliminary investigation by Sergeant William Jones revealed that at approximately 3:33 a.m., this Saturday, February 13, 2016, morning, a maroon 2010 Nissan Maxima, was driving east bound when a witness stated the Maxima passed a semi that was in the left middle (four lanes), the Maxima kept accelerating, cut back over in front of the semi they just passed and ran into the rear of a flatbed semi that was a short distance ahead.
The empty flatbed semi was a 2012 Peterbilt, owned by Decker Truck Line Incorporated out of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and driven by Shane R. Earnest, 25 of Dalton, Nebraska.
After striking the flatbed, the Maxima became disable in the middle of the left middle and right middle lanes of traffic. Earnest and the semi that was first passed both pulled over to the inner shoulder and stopped. The driver of the Maxima got out of the vehicle and during this time was almost hit by a passing motorist. One of the semi drivers told the Maxima driver to seek shelter after almost getting hit and they began to argue with him.
A silver 2010 Dodge Charger, driven by Sarah Y. Rahman, 28 of Chicago, Illinois, was east bound and struck the Maxima and its driver. The driver of the Maxima was pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy with the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Rahman was taken to Saint Margaret Franciscan Health in Hammond with non-life threatening injuries.
Name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification to the family.
All east bound lanes coming into Indiana Toll Road from the Chicago Skyway are closed for investigation into the fatal crash. West bound traffic was not affected. Please seek alternate routes of travel if you are driving into (eastbound) Indiana via the Chicago Skyway onto the Indiana Toll Road for the next hour.
Agencies assisting: Chicago Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Lake County Coroner’s Office, Hammond Fire and EMS
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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