Family has been notified. Driver has been identified as Michael Northern, age 53 from La Porte, IN. The semi was owned by Kingsbury Elevator Incorporated out of Kingsbury, IN. See below for the original release.
Hammond/Lake County-A semi driver died early this, Friday, morning, August 26, 2016, when he failed to stop for slowed/stopped road construction traffic up ahead and crashed.
Preliminary investigation by Sergeant Dwayne Dillahunty revealed that, at approximately 1:15 a.m., on I-80/94 west bound at the 4.6 mile marker (this is just west of Cline Avenue) traffic was slowing down/stopping for road construction up ahead when a 2006 International semi pulling a grain hauler trailer loaded with corn seed failed to slow down. The semi hit a 1997 Ford Taurus that was in the right middle lane (four lane interstate) driven by Shelton Slaughter, 21 of Sioux City, Iowa causing the Taurus to come to rest in the left middle lane.
The semi then struck a 2008 Nissan Altima, driven by Michael Bolden, 27 of Hammond, IN, that was in the right lane this caused the Nissan to hit a 2017 Kia Rio, driven by Jennifer Wieland, 41 of Homewood, Illinois that was ahead of the Altima. The Altima came to rest in the grassy area just north of I-80/94 and the Kia came to rest on the outer shoulder.
After hitting the Nissan, the semi went off the road to the north, over turning on the grassy embankment. Part of his load (corn seed) was lost in that area. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy with the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Name is withheld pending notification of the family.
Slaughter was not injured, his three passengers were taken to Munster Community Hospital with complaint of pain.
Bolden was taken to North Lake Methodist Hospital in Gary with non-life threatening injuries.
Wieland refused treatment at the scene.
Traffic was getting by on the inner shoulder only until approximately 6:00 a.m. when the left and left middle lane were reopened. All lanes were reopened at approximately 7:10 a.m. Clean-up of the load loss will continue off the interstate.
Assisting: Sergeant Dan Leslie, Troopers Andy Rasala, Jason Pratt, William Stancy, Lake County Coroner, Hammond Fire & EMS, Lake County Sheriff’s Department, INDOT and Berts Towing
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
