Porter County- At approximately 9:23 P.M., Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Indiana State Police Trooper Rogelio Escutia responded to a crash on I-94 east bound at the 29 mile marker (this is just east of the I-94 east bound scales) where a driver lost their life after being ejected from their vehicle.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Lexus was east bound in the left lane at a high rate of speed when for unknown reasons hit the rear of a box trailer on its driver side that was traveling in the middle lane. The Lexus, after hitting the semi’s trailer, flipped and rolled multiple times, ejecting the driver, Sridhar R. Mothkur, 62 of Chesterton, out of the Lexus. Mothkur came to rest on the inner shoulder. The Lexus continue to roll and flip and went over the concrete median barrier wall and it came to rest on the inner shoulder on the west bound side of I-94.
Mothkur was pronounced dead at the scene of blunt force trauma by the Porter County Coroner and was believed to not be wearing a seat belt. His family HAS been notified.
The semi was a 2000 Freightliner pulling a box trailer, owned by E L Hollingsworth & Company out of Flint, Michigan. The semi was loaded with 6,980 pounds of miscellaneous auto parts, no load was lost.
The semi was driven by William P Lantis II, 42 of Stockbridge, Michigan. Lantis was not injured.
Traffic was being diverted off at State Road 49 for reconstruction of the crash, removal of the deceased and vehicles and clean-up of the roadway. All lanes were re-opened at 1:59 A.M.
Assisting: Porter and Chesterton Police, Chesterton Fire and EMS, Indiana Department of Transportation, Porter County Coroner, Indiana State Police Sergeants Dan Leslie and Scott Gilbert, Reconstructionists Corporal Dan Becker and Trooper Lawrence McFarrin and Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Sergeant Wanda Clay and Troopers Dale Turner and Tom Devries
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All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
