State Trooper Injured in a Construction Zone Hit-and-Run at the I-65 and I-80 Interchange in Gary

What happened at the Gary interchange

An Indiana State Police trooper was injured shortly after midnight on Monday, September 14, 2026, when an SUV struck the trooper’s patrol vehicle at the Interstate 65 and Interstate 80 interchange in Gary, Lake County. According to ABC7 Chicago’s report^[1], the trooper was stationary on southbound I-65 with emergency lights activated and was blocking traffic for an active highway construction zone.

The SUV did not stop. WISH-TV^[2] and WGN^[3] reported that the vehicle fled westbound on I-80. Troopers pursued it through the construction zone and into Gary by way of Broadway and 25th Avenue before it stopped near the Gary Fire Department.

The trooper was taken by ambulance to Northlake Methodist Hospital and treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening, according to WLFI^[4] and WISH-TV. The trooper’s name, age, and specific injuries had not been released in the reporting.

The allegations and investigation

ABC7 Chicago and the Northwest Indiana Times^[5] reported that the driver was identified as Michael D. Rodriguez, 47, of Gary, an off-duty Gary firefighter. According to the reporting, Rodriguez showed signs of alcohol impairment and admitted to drinking before driving.

WSBT^[6] and WGN reported charges including operating while intoxicated causing injury, reckless driving in a construction zone while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a crash resulting in serious bodily injury, and additional felony counts. The Gary Fire Department placed Rodriguez on administrative leave. These are allegations in a pending case, and Rodriguez is presumed innocent. Indiana State Police are investigating.

What accident victims should do next

Get evaluated and follow up as directed. An injury described as non-life-threatening may still require continuing care. Medical records can document the injury, the treatment provided, and how the condition changes over time.

Get the report number and preserve the records available to you. Indiana State Police will produce a crash report, and a probable cause affidavit may be filed with the criminal charges. Keep photographs of damage, witness information, and records from each medical visit. You can also review how to obtain an Indiana crash report and what other evidence may support a crash claim.

Remember that the criminal case is separate from a civil claim. A prosecutor represents the State. Even a conviction does not itself pay an injured person’s medical bills or lost wages. The civil claim has separate proof requirements and deadlines.

Insurance and Indiana law

Ask about every insurance policy that may apply. Indiana requires minimum liability limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury under Indiana Code 9-25-4-5^[7]. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under Indiana Code 27-7-5-2^[8]. Depending on the policy, this coverage may apply when liability coverage is unavailable or insufficient. A person dealing with a driver who left the scene can learn more about hit-and-run evidence and insurance issues.

Most Indiana personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4^[9]. For the September 14, 2026 crash described here, that deadline would ordinarily fall on or about September 14, 2028. A different and much shorter notice period may apply if a government entity is a potential defendant. Indiana Code 34-13-3-8^[10] requires notice within 180 days for a political subdivision, while Indiana Code 34-13-3-6^[11] provides 270 days for a claim against the State. Nothing published about this incident suggests government fault.

Because the injured trooper was on duty, a workers’ compensation claim and a claim against an allegedly at-fault driver may proceed alongside each other. These claims cover different losses and must be coordinated carefully. The firm’s guide to workers’ compensation and third-party claims explains the distinction.

Indiana’s Comparative Fault Act, Indiana Code 34-51-2-6^[12], generally bars recovery when an injured person’s fault is greater than 50 percent. Otherwise, recovery is reduced by that person’s percentage of fault. A police report or criminal charge does not by itself make the final civil fault determination.

Indiana Code 7.1-5-10-15.5 may permit a claim against a person or business that furnished alcohol when it had actual knowledge that the person served was visibly intoxicated and the intoxication was a proximate cause of the injury. No source reported where Rodriguez had been drinking, so there is no basis here to identify any establishment as involved.

How Delventhal Law Office can help

Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm represents people hurt by carelessness or recklessness on Indiana roads, including crashes involving allegedly impaired drivers and drivers who leave the scene.

Delventhal Law Office can obtain available crash and court records, identify potentially applicable insurance, review uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and explain how a work injury claim may interact with a third-party case. You can request a free case evaluation to discuss the facts and applicable deadlines.

This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.

Sources

1. ABC7 Chicago’s report (abc7chicago.com) ↩
2. WISH-TV (wishtv.com) ↩
3. WGN (wgntv.com) ↩
4. WLFI (wlfi.com) ↩
5. Northwest Indiana Times (nwitimes.com) ↩
6. WSBT (wsbt.com) ↩
7. Indiana Code 9-25-4-5 (iga.in.gov) ↩
8. Indiana Code 27-7-5-2 (iga.in.gov) ↩
9. Indiana Code 34-11-2-4 (iga.in.gov) ↩
10. Indiana Code 34-13-3-8 (iga.in.gov) ↩
11. Indiana Code 34-13-3-6 (iga.in.gov) ↩
12. Indiana Code 34-51-2-6 (iga.in.gov) ↩