STEUBEN COUNTY, IN (WTVB) – Five persons including four children were injured Thursday afternoon in a crash on the Indiana Toll Road near Orland.
The Indiana State Police say the crash happened near the westbound 135 mile marker at about 2:00 p.m..
Troopers say the single vehicle crash resulted in the male driver and his four children ranging in age from two to nine being injured, with injuries varying from minor to severe.
Two of the children were flown from the scene by Parkview Samaritan helicopter to a Fort Wayne area hospital with the father and two other children being transported by ambulance to the same hospital.
A preliminary investigation by the State Police revealed that 43-year-old Luke Christopher Peterson of Cleveland, Ohio was operating the Dodge minivan westbound on I-90 at a high rate of speed prior to losing control. The minivan ran off road into the center median, and then rolled several times prior to coming to rest.
Witnesses reported observing the Dodge minivan recklessly driving at a high rate of speed, swerving in and out of traffic prior to the crash. Witnesses further stated that the minivan swerved to avoid striking the rear of a semi-tractor trailer prior to running off into the median.
It’s not known if seat belts were in use, as the driver and all four children were out of the vehicle upon arrival. There were no child safety seats or booster seats located in the vehicle, but airbags were deployed.
Traffic on the Toll Road had to be shut down temporarily in both directions for nearly two hours while troopers and first responders managed the scene.
The crash is still under investigation. Assisting the State Police were the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Orland Police, Orland Fire and EMS, Parkview Samaritan, and Bill’s Towing Service.
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