Porter County- A five vehicle crash this afternoon, west bound on the Indiana Toll Road at the 32.4 mile marker (this is approximately 1 ½ miles east of the Chesterton exit), resulted in a state police car being hit injuring the Indiana State Police (ISP) Sergeant sitting inside.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Luis Ruiz revealed at approximately 1:22 p.m., a 2014 Volvo semi pulling a box trailer, owned by Air-Land Transport Service out of Morton, Illinois, and loaded with 7,500 pounds of empty skids and sacks, driven by Gary McDonald, 49 of Washington, Illinois was west bound on I-80/90 in the right lane when he hit the rear of the car ahead of him. McDonald stated he had glanced at his GPS, then mirror, and when he looked up traffic was at a standstill.
McDonald tried to swerve but hit the rear of a 2011 Ford Escape, driven by Britni Walter, 20 of Southfield, Michigan. This caused the Escape to be pushed into the rear of a 2009 Ford Focus, driven by R. Scott Berkley, 61 of New Brighton, Pennsylvania. After the Escape hit the Focus, this caused the Escape to go into the guard rail and roll over onto its driver’s side.
The Focus after being hit was pushed into the rear of a 2015 Freightliner semi pulling a tanker, loaded with liquid plastic, owned by Schneider National out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and driven by Shadon Hart (male), 53 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
McDonald’s semi after hitting the Ford Escape, swerved to the left hit some crash/impact barrels, then hit the rear of a 2010 fully marked ISP commission, driven by Sergeant William Jones, 43, a twenty year veteran of the department. Sgt. Jones was sitting facing west bound in the cross over at that location with all his emergency lights on. West bound traffic was backed up 2 ½ miles due to construction up ahead (lane closure) at the 30 mile marker. Sergeant Jones was sitting in the crossover with all his emergency lights on to warn traffic of the slowed/stopped traffic in this area.
McDonald was wearing his seat belt and was not injured, he was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso for a blood draw which is standard procedure in this type of crash. He was cited for Unsafe Lane Movement and Following too Closely.
Walter and her passenger (no information) were both wearing their seat belts and taken to Porter Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Berkley and his passenger, Colin S. Berkley (son), 22 of New Brighton, Pa. were both wearing seat belts and were taken to Franciscan Saint Anthony’s Health in Chesterton with non-life threatening injuries.
Hart was wearing his seat belt and was not injured.
Sergeant Jones was wearing his seat belt and was taken to Porter Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
All traffic west bound was diverted off at the 39 mile marker (US 421 exit) for reconstruction of the crash, transporting of the injured and removal of the vehicles. All lanes were reopened at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Assisting: Sergeant Dale Turner, Sergeant Nora Werner, Senior Trooper Lawrence McFarrin, Libert Township EMS, Porter EMS, Cloverleaf 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.
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Picture of Jones police car and McDonald's semi
