Crown Point, IN – A Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm created hazardous travel conditions across Northwest Indiana, leaving state troopers in the Lowell District responding to more than 200 weather-related incidents within 24 hours.
According to the Indiana State Police, steady snowfall and slick roads between Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at 10 a.m. resulted in 120 slide-offs, 84 crashes, seven injury crashes, 40 motorist assists, and 10 abandoned vehicle checks across the region.
The heaviest activity occurred along I-65 between Crown Point and Remington, where troopers handled 39 crashes, 68 slide-offs, and 16 motorist assists. Additional incidents were reported along I-80/94 from the Illinois state line to the Michigan border, a stretch that historically sees high traffic volumes during holiday travel.
Late Sunday morning, troopers responded to a crash on I-80 in Hammond, where the driver involved was later pronounced deceased. Preliminary reports indicate the individual suffered a medical emergency while driving. Police said the collision itself is not believed to be the cause of death, and family members inside the vehicle witnessed the event.
Many of the crashes and slide-offs “could have been prevented,” troopers noted, citing speed too fast for conditions and following too closely as the two most common contributing factors.
With fall ending and winter conditions arriving across Indiana, state police are urging drivers to reduce speed, increase following distance, prepare vehicles for cold weather, and monitor changing forecasts before traveling.
How did road conditions look near you this weekend?
