Gary, Lake County-A crash on the Toll Road involving an Indiana State Trooper and two other vehicles left one dead.
Preliminary investigation by Senior Trooper Lawrence McFarrin revealed that at approximately 1:27 p.m., this Friday, June 12, 2015, afternoon, Trooper Anthony Potesta, 32, a seven year veteran of the department, had just checked on a vehicle that was believed to be involved in a crash parked on the eastbound outer shoulder of the Toll Road just east of the I-65 ramp. After checking on the driver, Potesta took off from the shoulder in his fully marked 2010 Crown Victoria police car. He was attempting to cross all lanes of eastbound traffic to go into the emergency crossover located at the 18.3 mile marker. A 1997 Dodge pickup, driven by James A Helmecy Junior, 39 of Portage, was in the left lane when they collided.
The Dodge lost control and went into the emergency crossover. The pickup went through the crossover and into the left lane of westbound Toll Road traffic where it hit a 2013 Ford Fusion head on.
The Fusion’s driver, Lucas J Del Valle, 51 of Amherst, Ohio was pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy with the Lake County Coroner’s Office of blunt force trauma. His front seat passenger, Sharon Del Valle (wife), 51, was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Chesterton with non-life threatening injuries. Their daughter Emma, 17, was also taken to Porter Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A second daughter Sophia, 19, was taken to Saint Catherine’s Hospital in East Chicago with non-life threatening injuries.
Family has been notified.
Helmecy was taken to North Lake Methodist Hospital in Gary with non-life threatening injuries.
Potesta was taken to South Lake Methodist Hospital in Merrillville with non-life threatening injuries.
East Bound traffic was closed for approximately 1 ½ hours. West bound traffic was closed and diverted off at the State Road 49 until approximately 7:00 p.m. for reconstructionist of the crash, removal of the deceased and the injured, towing of the vehicles, and clean-up of the roadway.
Assisting: Troopers Corey Dupuy, Brian McCall, Mike Bailey, Paul Arnold, Brian Henderson, Prompt Ambulance, Lake Station Fire Department, Lake County Coroner, and Waffco Towing
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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