One person was killed in an incident between a car and a semi on U.S. 31 near Westfield Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred shortly before 7 a.m. on April 16 near the 130 mile marker, just north of the 161st Street exit.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the car was southbound on U.S. 31 when it “crossed left over the grassy median for unknown reasons” and collided with a northbound semi, according to a Westfield Police Department official.
The car’s driver, a man, perished in the incident, while the semi driver, also a man, was brought to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
The northbound lanes of US 31 were stopped for about seven hours, with traffic redirected to the 161st Street exit. All lanes were reopened just before 2 p.m.
During the closure, a Westfield PD spokeswoman stated that motorists may travel west on 161st Street to Oakridge Road, north on Oakridge Road to State Road 32, and then east on State Road 32 back to U.S. 31.
“Our Crash Team is working diligently to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and provide answers to those affected. Any loss of life is devasting, and our thoughts are with those who were involved,” Westfield PD Captain Billy Adams said in a statement.
