HOWE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Indiana State Police say that two people were hurt in a crash on the I-80 Toll Road over the weekend that involved three semi-trucks and an RV.
ISP officials released the following on Monday:
Yesterday, Sunday August 15, 2021 at approximately 5:30pm, troopers from the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post responded to a multi-vehicle personal injury crash on the I-80 Toll Road at the 118.4mm, Howe, IN. The LaGrange County Sheriff Department officers, Parkview EMS, and Howe Fire Department personnel also responded to the scene to assist.
Upon their arrival, troopers found three semi-tractor/trailers and a RV blocking the eastbound lanes. At the time of the original dispatch the rear most truck driver was reported as being trapped in his vehicle. Several people who witnessed the crash and the other involved drivers were found assisting that semi driver, extracting him and beginning to administer first aid. Trooper Zach McKenzie was able to apply a tourniquet to the severely injured driver’s leg to prevent further loss of blood.
The driver of the rear most semi-tractor (a green 2016 Freightliner), Parminder Singh Tangar, 37, of Wisconsin, was airlifted to Parkview regional medical center in serioius condition by Parkview Samaritan helicopter. The driver of the middle semi-tractor (2018 Freightliner), Mohammed Mustafa Ghaleb, 28, of Idaho, was transported with non-life threatening injuries to Parkview Lagrange hospital for medical evaluation.
Although drugs nor alcohol were initially suspected as contributing factors, all three truck drivers consented to blood draws as required by law for serious injury crashes. The driver of the lead semi-tractor, and the driver and passenger of the RV were uninjured.
Trooper Zachary McKenzie’s preliminary investigation, this crash was the result of the third and rear most semi-tractors failing to get stopped as they approached a traffic back up due to construction at the 121 mile marker. The initial impact from the rear semi-tractor into the third semi-tractor trailer caused a chain reaction impact with the other vehicles.
This crash remains under investigation.
Trooper McKenzie was assisted at the scene by several ISP Toll Road troopers, LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department, Howe Fire Department, Parkview LaGrange EMS personnel, Parkview Samaritan flight crews, and Grates Wrecker service.
