Full Notification

Notification of the deceased families have been made.

The deceased have been identified as James Patrick Evan, 27 of Dayton, Ohio and Terry Wayne Holcomb, 29 of Xenia, Ohio.

Lake County-Two people died, late yesterday evening, Thursday, February 18th, 2016, when they were ejected out of their vehicle on north bound I-65 due to a crash.

Preliminary investigation by Trooper Brandon Bohling revealed that, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Thursday, February 18, 2016, a 2000 Ford Windstar, driven by Mireya Maldonado, 19 of Chicago, Illinois, was north bound on I-65 in the left lane behind a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier.

The Windstar went to the right to attempt to pass the Cavalier when it lost control as it accelerated. The Windstar began to fish tail over into the left lane where it sideswiped the passenger side of the Cavalier. This caused the Cavalier to lose control and go off the roadway to the west (left). The Cavalier began to roll counter-clockwise. The Chevrolet hit the median cable barrier knocking it down and this caused the Cavalier to come back east coming to a final rest upright facing north bound on the north bound I-65 inner shoulder.

Both occupants of the Cavalier were ejected as the Cavalier rolled. One of the occupants was ejected into the north bound I-65 left lane. The second occupant landed on the north bound inner shoulder in front of the Cavalier.

The Windstar also went off the roadway to the west, over the knocked down median cable barrier, through the grassy median, where it hit a guard rail on the west side of the median. The Windstar came to rest facing North east in the grassy median.

A Good Samaritan blocked the north bound I-65 left lane traffic from hitting the occupant who landed there. Both occupants, who were not wearing their seat belts, were pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy with the Lake County Coroner’s Office of massive blunt force trauma.

It is not know at this time who was the driver of the Cavalier.

Maldonado, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Saint Anthony’s Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point for minor injuries. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be a factor in this crash.

It is believed that if both occupants of the Cavalier had been wearing their seat belts that the outcome of this tragic crash could have been lessened. No citations have been issued at this time.

The left lane northbound and the left lane south bound on I-65 were closed for a while for reconstruction of the crash, the left lane south has been reopened. The left lane north bound has been reopened

Agencies assisting: Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Lake County Coroner’s Office, Crown Point EMS, Midnight Blue Towing, and Senior Trooper Lawrence McFarrin reconstructionist

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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Wojas