(MARSHALL & LAKE COUNTIES) - Indiana State Police are investigating two separate incidents within 24 hours in which law enforcement vehicles were struck while officers were on duty in northern Indiana.
In Marshall County on Monday morning, a sheriff's deputy was inside his patrol SUV investigating a separate crash on U.S. 31 when a northbound van lost control and sideswiped the vehicle around 7:30 a.m. Authorities say lake-effect snow had made roads slick at the time. The deputy was taken to a hospital for evaluation and later released. The van's driver, identified as Carlos Alexis Flores Hernandez, was arrested after deputies determined he did not have a valid driver's license.
In a second incident Sunday night, an Indiana State Police sergeant conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Hammond just before 10 p.m. As the sergeant exited his vehicle, he saw another car approaching and jumped over a concrete barrier moments before it slammed into the rear of his patrol car. The impact pushed the patrol vehicle into the car that had been stopped.
Investigators believe the driver who struck the patrol car may have been experiencing a medical emergency. That driver was transported for treatment, and no other injuries were reported.
State police say the incidents highlight the importance of Indiana's "Move Over" law, which requires motorists to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles stopped along the roadway. Officials continue to urge drivers to remain alert, especially in hazardous weather conditions.