A 41-year-old Valparaiso man died after a two-vehicle crash at Indiana 49 and County Road 250 South in Morgan Township at about 8:07 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The Post-Tribune report hosted by Yahoo News[1] identified him as Jeffrey Schultz.
Schultz was extricated from his vehicle and died at Franciscan Health Crown Point. Witnesses told Porter County Sheriff's deputies that a 47-year-old Valparaiso man driving west on County Road 250 South disregarded a stop sign and struck Schultz's vehicle, which overturned.
What investigators reported
The other driver was airlifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center with incapacitating injuries. His passenger was taken to Franciscan Health.
The passenger told police that he drank alcohol while trick-or-treating and that the driver consumed about one to two drinks. No test results were reported, and the driver had not been charged at the time of the report. Those details do not establish impairment or civil fault by themselves.
The Porter County Sheriff's Department investigation remains ongoing. No final finding of fault has been announced. This was the second fatal crash on Indiana 49 in Morgan Township in two nights, according to the same report. The previous night's crash occurred at Indiana 49 and County Road 400 South.
What families should preserve
If your family loses someone in a crash, request the crash report and keep track of any related criminal case because charging decisions can come later. The investigating agency's report is important, but it is not a final determination of civil liability. This guide explains how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Witness accounts can matter in a stop-sign or intersection investigation. Keep the names and contact information of anyone who saw what happened, along with funeral, medical, and other expense records. You can also review the types of evidence used in an Indiana crash claim.
How Indiana law may apply
Indiana's wrongful death statute, Ind. Code 34-23-1-1, permits a personal representative to bring a claim when a death is caused by another person's wrongful act or omission. Most Indiana personal injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years under Ind. Code 34-11-2-4. Families can read more about Indiana wrongful death filing deadlines.
Indiana divides fault among the people involved under Ind. Code 34-51-2-6. An injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent cannot recover; otherwise, the recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. Because insurers may aggressively defend disputed intersection cases, witness statements, scene evidence, and the full investigation can matter. The firm's guide to Indiana's comparative fault rule provides additional context.
Indiana requires minimum auto liability coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage under Ind. Code 9-25-4-5. Underinsured motorist coverage offered under Ind. Code 27-7-5-2 may also matter, depending on the available policies and losses.
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. The firm helps people across Indiana who are hurt, and families who lose someone, because of another driver's carelessness. Chad Delventhal can explain how a wrongful death claim works, identify applicable deadlines, and review the available insurance and evidence.
No outcome can be promised in any case. If you want to discuss the facts privately, the firm offers 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.
