Munster police officer killed in Indiana crash involving semi, officials say

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) -- A Munster police officer was killed in a crash early Tuesday, officials said.

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The crash involved a semi and a Dodge Ram. It happened after 1 a.m. on US Highway 41, south of US Highway 231, near Wicker Avenue in unincorporated Lake County, Indiana, police said.

Munster police Officer Ryan A. Perez, 31, was identified as the driver of the Dodge Ram. Police said he died at the scene.

The driver of the semi was a 41-year-old man from Schererville. He was taken to a hospital for testing, and was not injured.

Police said Officer Perez was not on duty at the time of the crash and was driving his personal vehicle.

Perez served for Munster police for about 4 months after transferring from an Illinois police department.

"Officers are looking into whether several factors may have contributed to the incident," Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.