EB I-94 in NW Indiana lanes reopen after crash involving 2 semi-trailers

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Friday, June 14, 2019
EB I-94 in NW Indiana closed after crash involving 2 semi-trailers
A crash involving two semi trailers has led to both directions of I-94 to be shut down in northwest Indiana Friday morning.

All lanes on eastbound I-94 in northwest Indiana are back open after two semi-trailers crashed Friday morning.

The semis crashed on I-94 near U.S. 20 in the Burns Harbor area. One of the semis was carrying miscellaneous merchandise and another was carrying cocoa, which spilled onto the expressway.

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Initially, police shut down both directions of I-94 between State Road 149 and State Road 49. Westbound lanes reopened shortly after 5 a.m. Late Friday morning, all eastbound lanes were back open.

Indiana State Police said at about 3:43 a.m., a semi pulled over and parked in the white striped gore area separating I-94 mainline from the Burns Habor exit ramp. The driver told police he had put his emergency hazards on and was then hit from behind.

Police said the driver of another semi had reached over his passenger seat to get something, causing his semi to drift off the roadway. The semi then hit the one that had pulled over and went on to hit a concrete barrier wall, causing the trailers for both semis to spill open.

Batteries from one truck leaked onto the cocoa powder from the other truck, which caused it to ignite in small batches, police said.

No injuries were reported.