A Chesterton motorcyclist died Friday after colliding with a pickup truck on
U.S. Highway 20 in Portage, Portage Police said.
The victim was identified as Christopher Egener, 33. He was pronounced dead
in the emergency room of Porter Portage Hospital Campus.
Sgt. Keith Hughes of the PPD gave this account of the crash. At
approximately 8:55 p.m. Egener was eastbound in the inside lane of U.S. 20,
operating a Kawasaki motorcycle, when he rear ended a Dodge Ram pickup truck
stopped to make a left turn onto Old Porter Road. On impact Egener’s
motorcycle burst into flame and an off-duty nurse and other witnesses pulled
Egener away and began administering CPR, Hughes said. Egener was
subsequently transported to Porter Portage Hospital Campus, where he died.
Witnesses estimated Egener’s speed at the time of the crash at 100 miles per
hour, Hughes said. Egener left no skid marks and struck the pickup with such
force that he pushed the bed of the truck into the cab and turned the
tailgate into a V, Hughes added. The two occupants of the pickup sustained
minor injuries.
Egener--who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash--died of
massive trauma to the head and abdomen, Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe
said. The results of routine toxicology tests are pending.
The investigation is continuing, Hughes said.
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