Lake County-A two semi crash, on I-65 south bound at the 235 mile marker (this is five miles south of the Lowell exit), this afternoon closed all lanes of south bound traffic.
Preliminary investigation by Trooper Kim Zelnis revealed at approximately 4:40 p.m., Wednesday, January 11, 2017, a 2007 Volvo semi pulling a box trailer, owned by Salco Transport out of Deerfield, Illinois, and driven by Luis Ortiz, 57 from Mississippi, was south bound in the left lane. Ortiz for unknown reasons braked, went off to the right, lost control and hit a semi-trailer that was parked on the outer shoulder with its tractor driver’s side.
A 2009 Freightliner semi pulling a box trailer, owned by Hilldrup Moving and Storage out of Stafford, Virginia, and driven by David Hill, 37 of Comer, Georgia, was parked on the outer shoulder south bound to use his phone when his trailer was hit by the Volvo.
After hitting Hill’s trailer the Volvo’s trailer jack-knifed blocking all south bound lanes.
Ortiz was transported from the scene to Riverside Memorial Hospital in Illinois with serious injuries. Hill was transported to South Lake Methodist Hospital in Merrillville with non-life threatening injuries.
All south bound lanes were closed and traffic was diverted off at the Lowell exit (240 mile marker). This was necessary for removal of the injured, vehicles, clean-up of the roadway. Approximately 90 gallons of diesel fuel was also spilled. All lanes were reopened at 7:50 p.m.
Assisting: Troopers Ryan Hovarter, Kurt Jones, and Eric Madry, Crown Point Fire and EMS, Newton County Fire and EMS, Lowell Fire and Tri-Creek EMS, and Indiana Department of Transportation.
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Picture is of the crash scene
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
