Lake County- On Sunday, July 30th, at approximately 10:09 a.m., Master Trooper Russell Hayes responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-65 southbound at the exit ramp to 61st Avenue.
Preliminary investigation shows that a 2006 Honda was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed in the far-left lane. The driver made a sudden lane change to exit the interstate onto 61st Ave. when the Honda struck the right rear of a semi that had stopped in the gore area. The gore area is the paved portion of the shoulder between the ramp and the interstate. This impact caused catastrophic damage to the driver’s compartment of the Honda.
The driver was declared deceased at the scene by the Lake County Coroner’s Office. A passenger in the Honda was able to exit the vehicle and was transported for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the semi had just pulled over to secure a portion of his load that had become loose. He was not injured in the crash. A level 2 inspection was completed on the truck by the Indiana State Police Commercial Motor Vehicle Division. This is common practice in crashes involving fatalities or serious injuries.
The deceased has been identified as Jennifer R. Benton, 37, from Wheatfield, IN. Notification to family has been made. Toxicology results are pending an autopsy by the Lake County Coroner.