A pedestrian killed in traffic late Wednesday afternoon in Portage was struck by three vehicles at a busy intersection, police said.
Portage Police and the Porter County Coroner’s Office said the identity of the victim, a 65-year-old man, is not being released until the coroner’s office can reach his next of kin.
“At the time of the crash, it was dark, visibility was low due to rainfall, and the victim was wearing all dark clothing. We do not believe any of the drivers will face criminal charges related to this accident,” police said.
Around 5:37 p.m. on Nov. 13, Portage Police responded to the intersection of U.S. 20 and Samuelson Road for a report that a pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle. The initial investigation shows that a pedestrian was walking northbound just west of the intersection when he was struck by a westbound sports utility vehicle, police said.
The initial impact threw the victim into the eastbound lanes where he was struck by two eastbound vehicles.
“All of the involved drivers reported the incident to law enforcement and cooperated with investigators. There is no indication that any of the involved motorists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” police said.
An autopsy determined the death was an accident and the cause was multiple blunt force trauma, according to the coroner’s office. Toxicology results are pending.
U.S. 20 was closed to all traffic between Samuelson Road and Jensen Drive until 8:50 p.m. while the department’s Crash Reconstruction Team conducted their investigation.
The Portage Police Department is investigating the fatality.