"Merrillville Woman Killed in Fatal I-80 Box Truck Crash in Lake County, Indiana"

A fatal two-vehicle collision on I-80 early this morning tragically took the life of a 25-year-old Merrillville woman. The crash occurred around 3:50 a.m. near the 8.4-mile marker, between Burr Street and Grant Street, in the eastbound lanes.

According to the Indiana State Police’s preliminary investigation, Darya Foster, 25, was driving a Hyundai Santa Fe at high speed when she rear-ended a Lazy Boy box truck in the right center lane. The impact caused the box truck to veer out of control, strike the median wall, cross all lanes, and eventually crash into a ditch. 

Foster was ejected from her vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Her Hyundai continued for another quarter mile before coming to a stop. The Lake County Coroner’s Office has notified her family.

The two occupants of the box truck were transported to Methodist Northlake Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The crash led to road closures for several hours as police investigated and cleared the scene. The Indiana State Police is continuing the investigation.