Five-vehicle wreck sends seven to the hospital
Post-Tribune staff report August 4, 2012 10:40PM
GARY — Seven people were taken to Methodist Hospital’s Northlake campus after a semi followed one vehicle too closely and caused a five-vehicle crash just east of Grant Street on I-80-94.
The Indiana State Police reports that at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday, Kevin W. Frayer, 41 and of Newport, Mich., was driving a 2006 Kenworth semi pulling a box trailer when traffic slowed and stopped at the 9.1-mile marker. Frayer then rear-ended a 2009 Hyundai, driven by Goldie L. Rister, 73 of Huntley, Ill., which pushed the Hyundai into a 2010 Toyota driven by Denise A. Piorkowski, 54 of Highland.
Piorkowski, in turn, was pushed into a 2007 Toyota driven by Deborah J. Guerrero, 22 of Chicago; Guerrero was pushed into a 2009 Toyota driven by Anthony A. Navarrete, 27 of Chicago, Illinois.
None of the drivers involved in the accident, nor two passengers — Martha Rueda, 53, of Chicago, who was riding with Guerrero; and D’Angelo Nieves, 8 and also of Chicago, who was riding with Navarrete — suffered life-threatening injuries.
Frayer who was traveling to Kansas City, Kan., From Holland, Mich., was cited for following too closely and log book violation. He was not injured.
The westbound left lanes of I-80/94 were closed an hour and half for removal of vehicles, clean up and attending to the injured.
Indiana State Police Trooper John Holmen responded to the crash, while Trooper Nedal Nabhan with the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and Caruther’s Towing and Bert’s Towing Services assisted.
