An Amazon delivery semi-truck slammed into a bridge support pillar on northbound Interstate 65 near 73rd Avenue in Merrillville on Tuesday morning, shutting down all northbound lanes and sending at least two people to area hospitals, with one victim airlifted by helicopter. The crash scattered debris across the roadway and left a black sedan with heavy damage nearby, according to the Indiana State Police Lowell Post.
Chaotic Scene Closes Lanes, Backs Up Traffic for Miles
Indiana State Police posted about the incident, according to NBC Chicago. Photos shared by troopers showed the Amazon truck resting on the grassy shoulder beyond a metal guardrail after striking the bridge pillar at 73rd Avenue. The northbound lanes of I-65 were closed between U.S. 30 and 61st Avenue, according to the Total Traffic & Weather Network, with backups stretching all the way to 101st Avenue. The bridge overpass sits directly north of U.S. 30 in Lake County, according to WIMS Radio, which reported delays and directed readers to the Indiana Department of Transportation Lowell post.
Preliminary reports indicated the truck driver was not at fault in the crash, per NBC Chicago's account of the incident, though Indiana State Police have not released a full determination. The INDOT bridge inspection manual outlines the administration of bridge inspections, according to IN.gov.
A Historic Crossing Takes the Hit
The 73rd Avenue bridge spans the original 1913 alignment of the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway, which once followed the historic Sauk Trail through Lake County, according to Northwest Indiana Business Magazine. The corridor was part of the historic coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway.
Latest in a String of Amazon Freight Incidents
Tuesday's crash is the latest in a series of severe commercial accidents involving Amazon logistics contractors in Lake County this year. In September, an Amazon delivery semi was involved in a major crash on eastbound I-80/94 near Burr Street in Gary that shut down lanes for eight hours and scattered packages across the Borman Expressway; the Amazon truck was parked alongside I-80/94 when another semi sideswiped it. In February, Indiana State Police and several tow trucks worked to remove an Amazon semi-truck that had overturned into a roadside ditch elsewhere in Northwest Indiana, and the ramp was closed most of Sunday morning and afternoon, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
The pattern stretches back further still. In March 2023, Lake County Sheriff's deputies responded after a 24-year-old driver wedged an Amazon delivery truck under a low bridge clearance in the county, with police identifying the driver as a Hanover Park, Illinois resident, per CBS Chicago.
I-65 Crash Disrupts Traffic
The crash shut down northbound I-65 lanes near Merrillville, disrupting traffic on the interstate.
No further details on the condition of the hospitalized victims or the identity of the truck driver have been released. Indiana State Police have not yet announced the results of a full crash reconstruction or confirmed when the mandatory bridge inspection will be completed.
