What WLKI reported about the crash
Four semi tractor-trailers were involved in a crash in an overnight work zone on the eastbound Indiana Toll Road near Fremont in Steuben County late on Monday, September 14, 2026. WLKI 100.3 reported[1] that Indiana State Police responded near mile marker 151.2 and that the investigation remains ongoing.
According to WLKI, traffic had stopped or slowed at the merge point for an overnight work zone near the Eastpoint Toll Plaza. Police reportedly said a blue 2020 Volvo semi driven by Ruslan Piddaniuk, 39, of Parma, Ohio, did not slow for the traffic ahead and struck vehicles in front of it. Three other semis were involved. Piddaniuk has not been charged, and this description comes from the reported preliminary police account.
Two drivers had pain complaints and were treated and released. One truck caught fire, and its driver got out safely. A second WLKI report[2] said the crash scattered roughly 10,000 cans of green beans across the roadway. The eastbound Toll Road remained closed until about 6:45 a.m. the next morning.
Fremont Fire and EMS, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, the Fremont Police Department, and Indiana Toll Road maintenance assisted. The reporting did not name the trucking companies involved.
What injured drivers should do next
If you were involved in a commercial-truck crash, get evaluated and follow the medical instructions you receive. Being treated and released documents the initial evaluation, but you should continue to address any ongoing complaints with an appropriate medical provider.
You should also obtain the investigating agency’s crash report. The report can usually be requested after the investigation, although it is not a final determination of civil liability. This type of collision may also produce motor-carrier inspection records, driver logbooks, and electronic logging device information.
Commercial-truck evidence can disappear or be overwritten. Electronic control module data, hours-of-service records, dispatch materials, and maintenance files may help explain what happened. A prompt preservation request can be important. You can learn more about black box and ECM evidence in an Indiana truck accident.
Identifying each driver’s employer and carrier is another early step. The published reports do not name the carriers involved here. A Fort Wayne truck accident attorney can investigate the companies, insurance policies, and records connected to a commercial vehicle.
Why the work zone and location matter
The crash happened on the Indiana Toll Road near Fremont in Steuben County, and Indiana State Police is the investigating agency. A civil claim arising from the crash would ordinarily be filed in the county where it occurred, which points to the Steuben County courts.
A work zone can add another issue to the investigation. If traffic control, signs, or the merge contributed to a collision, an investigator may examine the contractor or road authority responsible for that work. Nothing published suggests that either was at fault here.
If a government entity were a defendant, the Indiana Tort Claims Act could require notice within 180 days for a political subdivision under Indiana Code 34-13-3-8[3] or within 270 days for the State under Indiana Code 34-13-3-6[4]. Whether an entity operating or maintaining a toll highway is governmental for notice purposes requires an early, fact-specific review. A plain-language guide to an Indiana government tort claim notice explains why these periods matter.
Deadlines and fault in a four-truck collision
Most Indiana personal injury claims must be filed within two years under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4[5]. For a September 14, 2026 crash, that deadline falls on or about September 14, 2028. A shorter notice period may control if a government entity is involved.
Under Indiana’s Comparative Fault Act, Indiana Code 34-51-2-6[6], an injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing. Otherwise, the recovery is reduced by that person’s percentage of fault. In a collision involving four trucks, the drivers, carriers, and insurers may hotly contest how fault should be divided. The preliminary police account is evidence, but it does not decide civil liability.
Because the injured drivers were commercial drivers working when the crash occurred, workers’ compensation and a claim against another responsible driver or carrier may need to be evaluated together. These systems cover different losses and require careful coordination. The firm’s guide to workers’ compensation and third-party claims provides additional context.
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 serves Steuben County and communities across northeast Indiana. It represents people hurt by someone else’s carelessness in road crashes, including commercial-truck and work-zone collisions.
Delventhal Law Office can obtain reports, identify the carriers and insurance policies, send evidence-preservation requests, and review how a third-party claim may interact with workers’ compensation. The firm can also identify the filing and notice periods that apply. 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.
