LaGrange County – The Indiana State Police continue to investigate a crash that claimed the life of a semi truck driver Monday on the Indiana Toll Road near the 112 mile marker in LaGrange County.
Preliminary investigation by troopers showed that a semi tractor-trailer, driven by Austin Edward Larson, age 21, of Flint, Michigan was stopped on the outer shoulder of the Toll Road attending to a problem with his truck when his trailer was struck by another east bound semi tractor-tanker. The semi tanker was driven by 53 year-old Daniel Zeiger of Bremen. Zeiger’s truck continued east and collided with another east bound semi tractor-trailer that was driven by Winston Sample Jr., 34, of New Orleans, Louisiana. The force of the crash sent both trucks into the center median where they came to a rest.
The semi tanker driven by Zeiger caught fire after the collision. Zeiger was transporting gasoline. The crash caused both east and west bound lanes of the Toll Road to come to a standstill in the area for several hours as the scene was cleared and investigated.
Daniel Zeiger was pronounced dead at the scene. Winston Sample Jr. was taken to Parkview LaGrange Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released. Austin E. Larson was not injured in the crash.
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