A 25-year-old Chicago woman died early Sunday after the van she was traveling in was struck by another vehicle on Interstate 65.
Around 11:15 p.m. Saturday, Indiana State Police troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash about a mile south of the Crown Point exit on northbound I-65, according to a news release. When police arrived on scene, a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban was blocking the center and right lanes and a red 2016 Dodge minivan was in the right ditch.
The minivan, occupied by seven adults, had been traveling in the right lane at an extremely low speed, approximately 10 to 15 mph, while following another vehicle experiencing mechanical issues, according to the preliminary investigation. Upon approaching the minivan, the driver of the Chevrolet did not realize how slowly the minivan was traveling and tried to avoid it by swerving left, but it struck the rear left side of the minivan, which sent it into the ditch. The vehicle that the minivan was following was not struck, the release stated.
The minivan had only the two front seats still installed as its remaining five passengers were seated on boxes of mangos and were not properly restrained. Multiple passengers suffered severe injuries, including Navya Gadusu, 25, who sustained blunt force trauma injuries, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office. She was pronounced dead at 12:16 a.m. at the Franciscan Health Crown Point emergency room.
Four other occupants of the minivan were transported to local hospitals and later transferred to Chicago-area facilities for further treatment, police said.
In the release, the Indiana State Police reminded motorists of the importance of wearing seatbelts and ensuring all occupants are properly restrained. Also, if a vehicle experiences mechanical issues, police said the safest action is to pull onto the shoulder or emergency berm, activate hazard lights, and remain off the roadway until help arrives.
It was the second fatal accident on I-65 in as many days in which passengers were not properly restrained. Three people, including two children, were killed and one was seriously injured after the driver of their vehicle crashed into a semitrailer parked on the side of the highway early Friday morning.
They were identified Friday evening as Raniah Simpson, 19, Royce Sims, 9, and Artavius Sims, 5, all of Chicago. All died from blunt force injuries, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
Indiana State Police troopers from the Lowell Post responded around midnight to a catastrophic crash a mile south of Ridge Road on southbound I-65, ISP spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a release Friday. The 31-year-old driver of the Explorer had been heading southbound in the right lane when she drove off the road and hit the trailer, Fifield said. She may have fallen asleep at the wheel, he said.
The child in the front passenger seat was ejected from the vehicle upon impact, and none of the children were properly restrained.
Freelance reporter Michelle L. Quinn and staff writer Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.
