Pines Township, IN : Booze, drugs and speed blamed for 15-year-old driver's fatal crash on Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Police said alcohol, drugs and speed were likely factors in an early morning crash Tuesday on County Line Road in which a 19-year-old passenger died and the 15-year-old driver was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Deputies with the Porter County Sheriff’s Department were called at 1:30 a.m. to the area of 1134 N. County Line Road for a car/tree crash and found a 1999 BMW with five occupants heavily damaged in the woods on the west side of the road.

Front seat passenger Tyler Potter, 19, of Michigan City, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, whose name was not released but who police said was from Michigan City, was transported to Franciscan St. Anthony Health-Michigan City.

Three rear seat passengers, males ages 17, 18 and 23, all of Michigan City, were transported to St. Anthony with non-life threatening injuries. Their names were not released.

Police said the initial investigation indicates that the BMW was northbound on County Line Road at a high rate of speed when it lost control after going over the railroad crossing and struck a tree off the roadway.

The force of the crash caused the engine block to be ejected from the vehicle.

The Porter County Crash Reconstruction Team was called to the scene for further investigation. The sheriff’s department also was assisted at the scene by the Westville Fire Department, the Beverly Shores Fire Department, Porter County Coroner’s Office and the Porter County Highway Department.

Source :
1 dead, 4 injured in Pines Township crash