Driver killed in fiery crash on I-70 in Vigo County
UPDATE: The deceased has been identified as 58-year-old Gerald English of Covington, Georgia.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — The driver of a van died Thursday morning in a fiery crash on Interstate 70 in Vigo County, say Indiana State Police.
Ramaz Chokheli, 51, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was driving his semitrailer eastbound on I-70 near the three mile marker just before 7 a.m. when he had stop while police cleaned up several accidents from earlier in the morning.
While Chokheli was stopped, the driver of a Ford Transit van failed to notice that traffic was slowed or stopped and crashed into the back of Chokheli’s semi, according to State Police.
The force of the collision caused the van to catch on fire.
A state trooper who witnessed the crash tried to rescue the driver of the van, but was unable to do so because of the damage from the collision and the intense heat from the fire, says ISP.
The Sugar Creek Volunteer Fire Department arrived shortly after and worked to put the fire out.
The driver of the van did not survive.
Once positive identification has been made and family members have been notified, the name of the van driver will be released.
Police do not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.