A driver escaped a fiery crash with only injuries to his hand after smashing into a semi tanker early Thursday on I-65 in northwest Indiana.
The 36-year-old man was speeding in a black 2009 Chevrolet Impala northbound on I-65 when it rear-ended the tanker truck near the 61st Avenue exit in Merrillville, according to Indiana State Police.
The Chevrolet then spun out, hit the concrete barrier and caught fire, according to police.
The driver of the semi and two other good Samaritans pulled the driver out of the Chevrolet before it became fully engulfed in flames, police said.
The 36-year-old Merrillville man was taken to Methodist Hospital Northlake Campus in Gary with severe injuries to his right hand, police said.
The semi driver, a 53-year-old man, was not hurt, police said.
Police said alcohol or drugs may have played a role in the crash, and tests are pending.
The Chevrolet was a total loss, and the semi sustained damage to the rear axle.
The back of a semi tanker that was rear-ended early Thursday on I-65. | Indiana State Police
