HAMMOND, Ind. (WBBM Newsradio) – An off-duty Hammond police officer is on administrative leave after a crash that killed another driver Friday night. Investigators say alcohol may have been a factor.
Indiana State Police say the officer’s pickup was speeding north on Columbia Avenue near 165th Avenue around 9:55 p.m. when it hit an SUV pulling out of a business parking lot.
The SUV struck a fence, and its driver died. Authorities have not released the driver’s identity.
The officer’s truck spun into oncoming lanes, where another SUV hit it. The officer and that SUV’s driver were treated at a hospital and released.
The officer voluntarily provided a blood sample and was taken into custody at the hospital. He was later released from the Lake County Jail while investigators await test results and continue their work.
State police are handling the investigation at the Hammond police chief’s request. The case will go to the Lake County prosecutor’s office for possible charges.
