A Waukegan, Illinois man was killed and another person was airlifted to a Chicago hospital after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 65 in Merrillville on Saturday night.
Around 5:15 p.m., Indiana State Police troopers responded to a crash in the northbound lanes of I-65 at the 73rd Avenue overpass, which involved a yellow bus towing a passenger car, an SUV and a pickup truck, according to an ISP news release.
The driver of the bus — 60-year-old William Binkley — was pronounced dead at the scene due to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the crash, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office. One of his passengers was airlifted to the University of Chicago Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the SUV was not severely injured.
Troopers determined from a preliminary investigation that the retired school bus, which had been converted into a recreational vehicle, struck the bridge support for the 73rd Avenue overpass, police said.
The crash remains under investigation as police are trying to reconstruct the crash; Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash camera footage of the events leading up to the crash is asked to contact Trooper Hathaway at 219-696-6242.
During the investigation, police determined that the driver of the pickup truck showed signs of alcohol impairment, the ISP release said. An OWI investigation was initiated by investigating troopers, and he became combative and resisted troopers before being taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital, where a search warrant for a blood draw was obtained and executed, police said. After the blood draw, the man was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he is being held on a probable cause hold for Operating While Intoxicated involving a fatality. The Post-Tribune is not identifying the man until charges are filed.
Toxicology results are pending, police said.
