Joliet man dies after northwest Indiana crash

A semi driver from Joliet who died after crashing his truck into a ditch Wednesday afternoon in on I-94 in northwest Indiana may have suffered a medical incident.

About 1 p.m., the driver of the red 2012 Freightliner, 66-year-old Howard Pruitt, left a weigh station on I-94 and headed east for about 5 miles before his truck left the south side of the roadway and crashed into a ditch about two miles west of the Michigan City exit, according to the Porter County coroner’s office. The truck remained upright.

When troopers arrived at the scene, they administered first aid to Pruitt, who was unresponsive, according to Indiana State Police.

Pruitt, who lived in Joliet, was taken to Porter Regional Hospital in Valparaiso, where he was pronounced dead, the coroner’s office said.

Police believe Pruitt may have suffered a medical incident before the crash because he did not suffer any significant injuries as a result of the crash.

An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no other injuries were reported.