A 19-year-old Valparaiso man died Thursday night after the motorcycle he was riding crashed on Interstate 94 westbound near Chesterton, and state police were still at the scene when they notified his family. Matthew Lowenthal was killed in a chain of events that also left a second motorcyclist seriously hurt after an unknown vehicle struck him while he stood on the shoulder.
According to WRTV, the crash was reported around 8:11 p.m. Thursday on I-94 westbound about two miles east of the Chesterton exit, roughly a 25-minute drive east of downtown Gary. Investigators say Lowenthal and a second rider, identified as Luke Tilford, had been speeding west from the Michigan City area before the initial collision, which involved a 2024 Tesla passenger car. The Tesla's driver was not injured, the outlet reports.
Second Rider Struck While Off His Bike
Tilford had pulled his motorcycle onto the shoulder before the crash and was in the process of getting off it when an unknown vehicle struck him, per the same account. Police believe the driver of that vehicle may have been trying to avoid the initial crash and might not have realized they had hit Tilford, who suffered serious injuries and was taken by emergency crews to a hospital for treatment. Police are seeking public help in the investigation.
Indiana law requires drivers involved in injury crashes to stop immediately and notify law enforcement, and a motorist who knowingly leaves the scene of a crash resulting in serious injury or death can face a Level 6 felony or higher, carrying six months to two and a half years or more in prison and fines up to $10,000, according to Eskew Law. Separately, Indiana's expanded Move Over or Slow Down law, in effect since July 2023, requires drivers to change lanes or slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit when passing a disabled vehicle stopped on the shoulder with hazards flashing, per the Indiana Department of Transportation. Failure to comply can result in a Class B infraction.
Troopers Seek Witnesses and Video
The Indiana State Police Lowell Post is asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has video of it to call (219) 696-6242, with tips directed to Trooper Spencer M. Hathaway, the outlet's report notes. A state police crash reconstruction team is involved in the investigation.
Indiana requires helmets only for riders younger than 18, according to the Indiana Department of Health. Adults with a full motorcycle endorsement may choose not to wear a helmet.
The crash adds to a grim statewide tally. Indiana recorded 2,850 motorcycle collisions resulting in 136 fatalities in 2024, following 2,790 crashes and 141 deaths in 2023, according to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Nationally, motorcyclists are roughly 28 times more likely to die in a crash per mile traveled than passenger car occupants, accounting for 15% of U.S. traffic deaths despite making up just 3% of registered vehicles, per data cited by Wilson Kehoe Winingham.
Investigators continue working to identify the driver who struck Tilford.
