LAGRANGE COUNTY, Ind. — The Indiana State Police Toll Road Post is conducting a death investigation after an Angola man was struck and killed by an 18-wheeler while walking on the Interstates 80/90 toll road Monday in LaGrange County.
The Indiana State Police Toll Road Post received a 911 call at approximately 11:45 p.m. regarding a person walking on the I-80/90 toll road near the 121-mile marker in LaGrange County, according to a news release from the agency.
While troopers were in route, a second and third 911 call was received stating that a semi-tractor trailer had struck an object in the roadway in this same area, possibly a person. Troopers from both the toll road post and the Fort Wayne Post responded.
The first arriving trooper was on scene at approximately 12:04 a.m. and found an adult male, later identified as Nathanael W. Stewart, 43, of Angola, Indiana, lying unresponsive in the roadway.
CPR was started immediately.
Other responding troopers arrived on scene within approximately five minutes and assisted in the life saving measures. The troopers’ efforts continued until being relieved by LaGrange Parkview EMS paramedics, however all life saving measures were unsuccessful.
Stewart was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaGrange County Coroner.
The driver of the tractor-trailer that struck Stewart was identified as Davinder Singh, 29, of Tracy, California.
Singh cooperated fully with the investigating troopers.
Although drugs and alcohol were not suspected as contributing causal factors, as part of the standard investigative process required by law, Singh voluntarily submitted to chemical testing. Singh’s semi-trailer was towed from the scene and impounded pending investigative inspection by the ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division personnel.
Although troopers have not yet determined why Stewart was walking on the interstate, they were able to track footprints in the snow, which suggested he had climbed over from the north side of the interstate fence, coming from the direction of a residence where he had been staying in Sturgis, Michigan. He walked through a side ditch and then onto the interstate.
Family notifications have been made.
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