Fatal semi crash closes several lanes of I-94 in La Porte County

befuddledsenses | Flickr

A semi truck pulling a double trailer crashed early Wednesday morning, killing the driver, on I-94 in northwest Indiana.

Around 6:06 a.m., the semi went off the road for unknown reasons and rolled over on I-94 eastbound at the 36-mile marker, two miles east of the Michigan City exit in LaPorte County, according to Indiana State Police.

The driver was trapped inside the tractor, which was wrapped behind a bridge pillar, ISP said. Food products and paint inside the double trailer spilled out onto the road, shoulder and into the Trail Creek waterway. Diesel fuel and oil from the tractor were also lost.

The driver had to be extricated from the semi, and died before an ambulance arrived, ISP said. The name of the driver has been withheld pending notification of the family.

Westbound traffic is open but two eastbound lanes are closed, ISP said. The only lane open is the closed construction lane.

Drivers are urged to use alternate routes for travel and to expect long delays, ISP said. There is currently no estimated time for how long the lanes will be closed for cleanup and investigating the crash.