A weekend drive on northbound I-65 in Hobart turned deadly Saturday when a converted school bus-style RV slammed into a bridge support, killing its driver and touching off a lengthy shutdown and medical airlift. The chain-reaction crash involved three vehicles and left at least one other person with life-threatening injuries, according to officials. A driver connected to the collision was taken into custody at the scene.
Indiana State Police said the collision happened around 5:15 p.m. at mile-marker 253.6, under the 73rd Avenue overpass. The wreck centered on a yellow, retired school bus that had been converted into a recreational vehicle and was towing a passenger car. Troopers said the RV struck a bridge support, and its driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger was airlifted by UCAN to the University of Chicago Hospital, according to Region News Source.
Crash Details
Three vehicles were ultimately swept into the crash, including what CBS Chicago described as a former school bus that had been converted into an RV. The outlet reported that the RV driver died after the vehicle hit a bridge support and that all northbound lanes were shut down for hours while emergency crews worked the scene and investigators documented the wreckage.
Arrest and Investigation
Investigators said the driver of a pickup truck was taken into custody after allegedly showing signs of alcohol impairment and resisting troopers. Police identified the pickup driver as 48-year-old David K. Rodgers of Gary. According to troopers, a warrant was obtained for a blood draw while Rodgers was being treated at a local hospital. He was later taken to the Lake County Jail on a probable-cause hold on suspicion of operating while intoxicated involving a fatality, per Region News Source.
Ongoing Work and What Drivers Should Know
Indiana State Police said crash reconstruction and toxicology testing are underway as troopers work to piece together exactly how the three-vehicle collision unfolded. CBS Chicago reported that the investigation was continuing into Saturday night and that authorities had not yet released the identity of the RV driver.
