News Release

FREMONT — In an update from the Indiana State Police, the victim of a Steuben County fatal crash has been identified.

The driver the Toll Road crash has been identified as Melvin Chakkalackal Alexander, 34, of Atlanta, Ga. Family notifications have been made.

At approximately 5:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post responded to a personal injury crash involving two semi tractor trailers and a pick-up truck on westbound I-90 at the 146.6 mile marker. This location is just east of the I-69 junction in Fremont.

The preliminary investigation has found that a 2020 Freightliner semitractor was traveling westbound in the right lane of I-90 approaching stopped traffic, due to a car fire incident, at the 146.6 mile marker.  The Freightliner failed to slow or stop for the backed-up traffic. The Freightliner swerved to the right to avoid colliding with a 2016 Ford F150 truck that was stopped in the right lane, side swiped the passenger side of that truck, and then impacted the rear of 2008 Mack semi-tractor/trailer that was stopped ahead of the Ford. The impact caused extreme damage to the cab of the Freightliner. The driver and passenger of the Freightliner were trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated by Fremont Fire Department personnel.

The driver of the Freightliner was pronounced dead at the scene by the Steuben County Coroner. Release of the drivers identification is pending notification of family members that reside in Georgia. The passenger, an adult male, was transported to a Fort Wayne area hospital with unknown injuries, not believed to be life threatening.

Neither the driver of the Ford F-150,  nor the driver of the Mack semitractor were injured in the crash, however they were transported to a local hospital for required chemical testing, which is required of all drivers involved in a serious bodily injury or fatal crash in the State of Indiana.

The westbound lanes of I-90 were completely shut down for over five hours for the investigation and clean-up.  At the time of this release, traffic was still limited to one lane westbound as the clean-up continued.

Toll Road troopers were assisted in this investigation by Indiana State Police crash reconstruction troopers, as well as ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division troopers, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, the Fremont Fire Department, Steuben County EMS personnel, the Steuben County Coroner and Bill’s Professional Towing Service.