Shortly before 5 p.m. today, troopers from the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post responded to a report of a personal injury accident on the Indiana Toll Road near the 90-mile marker in Elkhart County. The crash, which occurred in the west bound lanes, shut down traffic for several hours while police and rescue crews attended to the accident.

According to reports, the collision happened after the driver of a 2003 Hyundai apparently crossed through the grass median of the Indiana Toll Road and into the path of a westbound 2007 Freightliner semi box truck. The driver of the east bound Hyundai, Dennis D. Freeman, 57, of South Bend, was killed on impact. The driver of the semi box truck, Kenneth Wayne Garlinger Jr., 33, of Plainwell, Mich., was taken to Elkhart General Hospital, where he was released without any injuries.

Reports indicate that Garlinger attempted to avoid the head on collision by swerving but was unsuccessful.

The Indiana State Police will continue the crash investigation in an effort to determine the reason why Freeman left the east bound lanes of the Toll Road and drove through the grass median.  At this time alcohol does not appear to be a factor.