Nov. 14--An 11-year-old boy who was moving from Chicago to Washington, D.C. with his father and twin brother was killed when his father fell asleep at the wheel and struck a semitrailer on the Indiana Toll Road, Indiana State Police said Thursday.
The accident happened Wednesday at 2:58 p.m. as the boy's 52-year-old father was driving a 1998 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, police said in a news release.
According to police, the vehicle was pulling a 21-foot U-haul trailer eastbound on the toll road at the 34.6 mile marker about three miles east of the Chesterton exit, police said. The man was in the right lane when he fell asleep and drifted off the roadway, police said.
The Silverado struck a 2006 Volvo semitrailer which was hauling a box trailer. The 62-year-old truck driver had pulled onto the shoulder because of engine problems, police said. The driver had activated his four-way hazard lights. Before the truck driver could exit his vehicle the Silverado struck the trailer, police said.
The Silverado's right front hit the left rear section of the trailer, causing the Silverado and the U-haul trailer to spin out and jackknife, coming to rest in the middle of the right and left lanes of eastbound traffic, police said.
Hezekiah Thomas, 11, who was in the front seat, was ejected from the pickup and landed on the roadway, police said.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris. The boy died of multiple blunt force injuries caused by the accident.
The boy's twin brother, seated behind his father, was not injured. The father was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso and flown to South Bend Memorial Hospital where his condition had stabilized.
Harris said the family was moving from Chicago to Washington and the father had full custody of the boys.
