1 killed when commuter train strikes pickup in NW Indiana

A 51-year-old man was killed when a commuter train struck a pickup truck Tuesday evening near Ogden Dunes, Indiana.

South Shore Line train 11 was stopped near Ogden Dunes after it struck the passenger side of a 1996 Ford Ranger about 5:30 p.m. at County Line Road and U.S. Route 12, according to a South Shore Line alert and the Porter County Coroner’s Office.

Todd R. Crum of Valparaiso was driving the pickup when it was struck by the train and was pronounced dead of blunt force injuries in the crash, the coroner’s office said.

Crum drove around the gates at the intersection and the Ford was pushed several hundred yards and caught fire in the crash. No injuries were reported on the train.

The crash remained under investigation.