3 killed, including 7-year-old girl, in NW Indiana crash

BOONE TOWNSHIP, Ind. (WLS) -- Three people, including a 7-year-old girl, were killed Tuesday in a crash in northwest Indiana.

Porter County Sheriff's officers responded just before 4:15 p.m. to a two-vehicle crash near 319 West State Road 8.

Traffic had been stopped on eastbound SR8 as a car waited to make a left turn into a driveway. In an effort to avoid rear-ending the stopped vehicles, the sheriff's office said the driver of a silver 2002 Mercury Mountaineer swerved and collided with a westbound 2017 Mack dump truck.

The 45-year-old driver of the SUV and two passengers died at the scene. A fourth passenger, a 15-year-old girl, was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Crown Point and later airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center.

All four people in the SUV were from North Judson. The deceased were identified to the Porter County Coroner's Office as Amber Fitzgerald, 45; Bonnie Sowles, 68; and Hannah Cullen, 7.

The 59-year-old Crown Point man driving the truck was not hurt. The Mack truck was registered to Harry Brown Trucking Co., Inc., which is based in Hebron. It will be inspected.

The area was closed for at least three hours as authorities conducted their investigation.