A Valparaiso man
was killed on Monday and his wife seriously injured in a two-vehicle
accident on U.S. Highway 30 in Union Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s
Police said.
The victim was
identified as Juan G. Sotojirau, 83.
According to
police, at 1:47 p.m. Sotojirau was traveling in the area of C.R. 375W, when
he pulled in front of a second vehicle eastbound on U.S. 30.
The driver of the
second vehicle was Jesse Hummel, 19, of Crown Point.
Sotojirau was
transported to Porter Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead,
police said. His passenger and wife, Lilliam Soto, 83, was also transported
to PRH and then airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with
life-threatening internal injuries, police said.
Hummel was not
injured in the crash.
“Alcohol is not
believed to be involved,” police said.
Traffic on U.S. 30
was restricted to one lane in each direction until 4:10 p.m.
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