Indiana Car Accident Law Firm
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), even though the percentage of Indiana roadways that are part of the interstate system is tiny — only 1.3% — Hoosiers depend upon the interstates for 22.4% of their transport use. And among the Indiana Interstates, I-65 (traveling through Lake County) is of particular importance to Northwest Indiana. In fact, I-65 is considered to be the single most important interstate for the entire state, as well as its longest interstate (257 miles). Why? It’s through using I-65 that you can move from Mobile, Alabama, through Louisville and Indianapolis north to the southeast corner near Chicago. Interstate 65 is considered the main roadway connection between Indianapolis, the largest city in Indiana as well as the state capital, with Chicago, Illinois.
Lake County and Interstate 65
For those living in Northwest Indiana, the impact of I-65 is throughout Lake County. There, the most popular section of I-65 according to 2000 INDOT statistics has historically been that portion of I-65 that moves between Exit 253 and Exit 255 (for US 30 and Merrillville) up to Exit 258 and Exit 259a, where traffic moves toward Ridge Road (old US-6) and the exchange with Interstate 80-94 (Borman Expressway) and U.S. 6 West. In Hobart, for instance, you can pick up Interstate 65 (Exit 258) where Business (West 37th Avenue) intersects with I-65 and lets drivers follow the Business route through to Hammond, Highland, Griffith, Gary, and New Chicago. Upon crossing into Lake County, Interstate 65 has been named “the Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway” for that stretch of I-65 that spans from the Kankakee River to the point where I-65 dead-ends at its northern tip, adjacent to the Indiana Toll Road (I-90). Who’s he? Casimir Pulaski is known as the “Father of the American Cavalry,” who fought in the American Revolution alongside George Washington, bringing the military expertise he honed in his native land of Poland in their freedom fights to the revolutionaries fighting against the British.
One of the Deadliest Highways in the U.S.A.
Traveling Interstate 65 can be dangerous for drivers. In fact, most of all traffic fatalities in Indiana happen on Indiana interstates, particularly urban interstates where in 2010, for example, 676 of the total 707 fatal car crashes in Indiana occurred on urban interstate roadways. Interstate 65 has been designated as one of the deadliest highways in America (ranking no. 76 out of 100). From 2004-2008, Indiana’s I-65 saw:
- Fatal accidents: 141
- Fatal accidents per mile: 0.54
- Total fatalities: 157
The Indiana car accident law firm of Allen Law Group represents those who have been injured or killed on this dangerous road.
Some Traffic Safety Facts from the Indiana Department of Transportation
- 9.3 percent (17,517) of all collisions were speed-related, representing a 5.6 percent decrease from the 2010 number of collisions that were speed-related.
- 19.4 percent (131 of 674) of fatal collisions were speed-related.
- There were 133 fatal crashes and 140 fatalities involving a vehicle driver legally impaired by alcohol (i.e., blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 g/dL).
- Twenty percent of fatal collisions involved a driver that was legally alcohol-impaired.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed due to the wrongful acts of another, then you may have a legal claim for damages as well as the right to justice against the wrongdoer and you are welcomed to contact a Chicagoland and Indiana personal injury lawyer at Allen Law Group to schedule a free initial legal consultation.
