This is Why You Need to Wear Your Seat Belts!!
Porter, Porter County-A Chesterton man was thankful he was wearing his seat belt today after his pickup flipped over several times, going over the concrete median barrier wall, and coming to rest on the other side of the interstate.
Preliminary investigation by Master Trooper Steve Caylor revealed that, at approximately 9:00 a.m., this Wednesday, February 3, 2015, morning, a 2006 Chevrolet pickup, driven by Nicholas D. Heflin, 34 of Chesterton, Indiana, was entering I-94 west bound from exit 22 (Burns Harbor/Porter exit). Heflin moved from the right to the center lane in front of a 2005 Kenworth semi pulling a box trailer, owned by Gundlach and Sons out of Plymouth, Indiana, and driven by Gary M. Nelson, 61 of South Bend, Indiana.
Heflin’s pickup struck the semi which caused the pickup to spin in front of the semi. Heflin’s pickup was pushed west bound by the semi until it struck snow/snow embankment on the inside shoulder. This caused the pickup to flip over several times and go over the concrete median barrier wall and come to rest on the east bound side of I-94.
Heflin was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso with non-life threatening injuries. He was wearing his seat belt. Nelson was not injured.
Nelson’s semi was loaded with general merchandise and no load was lost. Both the pickup and semi sustained approximately $20,000 in damage to each of their vehicles. Both vehicles had to be towed.
Assisting: Master Trooper Jim Burkhart, Burns Harbor Police, Porter Fire Department and Joe’s Towing
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pictures are of the semi and pickup
Address/Location
Indiana State Police-Lowell District 13-Lowell, IN
1550 East 181st Avenue
Lowell, IN 46356
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 219-696-6242
Ann Wojas
Public Information Office
[email protected]
219-696-6242