A fatal crash on
U.S. Highway 6 in Jackson Township forced the closure of a two-and-a-half
mile stretch of U.S. 6 until mid-morning today, the Porter County Sheriff’s
Police said.
The name of the
victim, a man, has not yet been released pending the notification of family,
police said.
Coroner Chuck
Harris gave this account of the accident. The man, driving a pickup truck in
the early-morning hours, was eastbound on U.S. 6 when, in the area of C.R.
381E, he crossed the center line and struck a westbound semi-tractor tanker.
The man was
partially ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene at 4:56
a.m., Harris said. A routine toxicology screen will be performed.
The driver of the
tanker escaped injury, Harris added.
Both the east- and
westbound lanes of U.S. 6 between North Calumet Ave. and C.R. 400E were
closed after the accident, to allow for crash reconstruction but also for
cleanup of a diesel spill, the PCSP said.
U.S. 6 was
re-opened to traffic at approximately 10 a.m.