Authorities are investigating a three-vehicle crash that occurred Saturday evening on Interstate 65 in Merrillville, resulting in one fatality and another person being seriously injured.
According to Indiana State Police, troopers were dispatched around 5:15 p.m. to the northbound lanes of I-65 beneath the 73rd Avenue overpass following reports of a multi-vehicle collision.
Police said the crash involved an SUV, a pickup truck, and a former school bus that had been converted into a recreational vehicle and was towing a passenger vehicle. During the collision, the converted bus reportedly struck a bridge support at the overpass.
The driver of the bus/RV was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Lake County Coroner’s Office later identified him as William Binkley, 60, of Waukegan.
A passenger in the bus/RV was airlifted to the University of Chicago Hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police. Authorities reported that the driver of the SUV did not sustain serious injuries.
Investigators stated that the driver of the pickup truck, identified as 48-year-old David K. Rodgers of Gary, Indiana, displayed signs of possible alcohol impairment at the scene. Police allege that Rodgers became uncooperative during the investigation.
Rodgers was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where troopers obtained and executed a search warrant for a blood draw as part of the investigation. Afterward, he was booked into the Lake County Jail and is being held on probable cause for operating while intoxicated involving a fatality.
Indiana State Police emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing, and toxicology results are pending. Officials are working to determine the full sequence of events that led to the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or may have dash camera footage from the area at the time of the crash is encouraged to contact Trooper Hathaway .
Authorities say additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.
