Porter County-A twenty-one year old Demotte man fell asleep after just getting off work and crashed into a semi closing the right lane for over thirty minutes.
Preliminary investigation by Master Trooper Jim Burkhart revealed that, at approximately 6:54 a.m., this Tuesday, January 27, 2015, morning, a 2011 Ford Super Duty pickup, driven by Ryan M. Hale, 21 of Demotte, was east bound on I-94 in the middle lane at the 29.4 mile marker (this is just east of the east bound truck scales) when he fell asleep. The pickup drifted over to the right lane and struck the box trailer of s semi.
The semi, a 2007 Volvo, owned by North Wolf Logistics Group out of Chicago, Illinois, and driven by Pilic Drazenko, 32 of Chicago, had just merged into the right lane from the I-94 east bound truck scales when it was hit. The semi was loaded with empty racks and none of the load was lost.
Hale’s pickup came to rest in the right lane and the semi came to rest in the acceleration lane from the truck scales.
Hale was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso with non-life threatening injuries. Drazenk was not injured. Both drivers were wearing seat belts.
The right lane was closed for approximately thirty (30) minutes for investigation of the crash, removal of the injured and towing of the Ford pickup.
Assisting: Chesterton Fire Department, Porter County EMS and Cloverleaf Towing
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Picture is of the Ford Pickup
