What happened
A semi tractor-trailer struck the rear of a passenger car on the off-ramp from U.S. 31 to eastbound U.S. 6 in Marshall County at about 6:47 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, according to GIANT fm[1].
GIANT fm, reporting information from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, stated that a 2022 Peterbilt semi tractor-trailer driven by Stephen Gasper, 63, of Bargersville struck the rear of a 2011 Toyota Camry driven by Joanna Garcia, 57, of North Judson while the vehicles were exiting the ramp. Garcia had complaints of neck pain and was transported to the hospital. Gasper was not reported injured.
LaPaz EMS and the Indiana State Police assisted at the scene. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department investigated through Officer Heygood. No citations were reported, and the available report does not identify the motor carrier that owned or operated the tractor-trailer. This account rests on GIANT fm’s reporting.
What should accident victims do next?
If you report neck pain after a truck crash, seek an appropriate medical evaluation and follow the treatment instructions you receive. Describe what happened and your symptoms accurately to each provider. Clear medical records can connect later treatment to the collision if an insurer disputes the cause of your condition.
Commercial crashes can involve evidence that does not exist in an ordinary car case, including driver logs, electronic logging records, engine-control and telematics data, dispatch records, driver-qualification materials, and maintenance history. Some information can be lost or overwritten quickly. A Fort Wayne truck accident attorney can work to identify the carrier and send timely preservation requests.
The carrier’s identity and USDOT number may appear in the crash report, on the truck, or in towing and storage records. You can also learn how to obtain an Indiana crash report. Photographs of the vehicles and ramp, taken safely and before repairs when possible, may help document the evidence.
Why location matters in an Indiana injury claim
The crash occurred on the ramp from U.S. 31 to U.S. 6 in unincorporated Marshall County. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department investigated, so its records office is the place to request the agency’s crash report. A police report can provide useful information, but it does not determine civil liability.
A rear-end impact does not automatically establish fault. Investigators, insurers, and attorneys may examine following distance, speed, vehicle positions, traffic conditions, and whether either vehicle made a sudden stop. More information about these disputes is available in the firm’s guide to fault in Indiana rear-end collisions.
Indiana applies modified comparative fault under IC 34-51-2-6[2]. An injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent cannot recover; otherwise, any recovery is reduced by that person’s percentage of fault. Because insurers may aggressively defend fault questions, photographs, witness information, electronic data, and consistent records can matter.
Most Indiana personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury under IC 34-11-2-4[3]. That filing period can be much longer than the time some electronic evidence remains available, which is why early preservation matters. The firm also explains what evidence may support an Indiana crash claim.
Indiana’s minimum auto liability limits under IC 9-25-4-5[4] are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Commercial coverage and the injured person’s own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under IC 27-7-5-2[5] may also require review.
U.S. 31 and U.S. 6 are state-maintained routes. Nothing published suggests that a road condition contributed to this crash. If evidence later supported a claim against the State, the Indiana Tort Claims Act generally requires notice within 270 days under IC 34-13-3-6[6]. A claim against a political subdivision generally requires notice within 180 days under IC 34-13-3-8[7].
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. For someone injured in a commercial-truck crash, the firm can obtain available reports, identify the motor carrier, request preservation of driver logs and electronic data, review insurance coverage, and organize the medical and vehicle evidence. You can request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
