Portage, Porter County-Indiana State Police Trooper Anthony Robinson assigned to the Toll Road responded to a second crash, this morning, where another driver died at the scene.

Preliminary investigation revealed that approximately 4:30 am, (CST), a 1999 GMC Savannah van was west bound on the Toll Road, in the right lane, at the 21.9 mile marker (this approximately 1 mile west of the Portage Toll Plaza/exit) when it lost control on the snow/icy roads.

The GMC van spun out into the left lane where a 2007 Freightliner semi pulling a flatbed trailer hit the van broadside in the driver’s door.  The Freightliner, owned by Burnham Trucking Company out of East Chicago, Indiana, was not loaded.  The driver, Michael A. Mosher, 57, of Portage, was taken to Porter Hospital in Portage and treated and released for complaint of pain to his neck.  Mosher was cited for a log book violation.

The driver of the GMC van was pronounced dead at the scene by the Porter County Coroner of blunt force trauma.  Family has been notified.  The driver was identified as Pierre Louise DeVaugh Smith, 26 of Hammond, Indiana.