Chicago Trucker Dies In Crash
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
A Chicago man died Thursday night after the semi tractor/trailer he was driving slammed into the back of another rig stopped at a traffic light on U.S. 30.
Ryszard Kulinski, 52, suffered internal injuries and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, where he died about an hour after the 10:03 p.m. accident at the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 250E, near Warsaw.
According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, Kulinski was eastbound on U.S. 30 when he rear-ended a semi tractor/trailer driven by Stephen J. Vallely, 48, Fort Wayne. Vallely told police he was stopped at the traffic light at CR 250E when the collision occurred. Vallely was did not suffer any visible injuries as a result of the accident and refused medical attention.
Joseph Rasmussen of Withee, Wis., was the driver of a third rig on U.S. 30 at the time of the accident and was about one-quarter mile behind Kulinski's rig. Rasmussen told police he saw the taillights go out on Kulinski's rig, but couldn't remember whether the trailer had lights on it prior to the collision.
In a written statement, Rasmussen noted, "Don't remember seeing brake lights before everything went dark." Rasmussen also said he saw smoke coming from the hood area of Kulinski's rig and realized a crash had happened.
Police said Kulinski was semi-conscious at the scene of the accident prior to going to KCH, and that the Samaritan helicopter was put on standby due to the severity of Kulinski's injuries. However, he succumbed to his injuries before he could be stabilized for air transport.
Blood tests were taken on both drivers after the accident to determine whether either was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The results of those tests are not yet available.
Damage to Kulinski's tractor registered to A&A Express Inc., Chicago, and trailer registered to Transport International Pool Inc., Devon, Pa., was estimated at a total of $25,000 to $50,000. Damage to Vallely's rig, of which both the tractor and trailer were registered to B&K Leasing, Columbia City, was estimated at $10,000 to $25,000.
Kulinski's death marks the 11th traffic fatality on Kosciusko County roads this year. Traffic deaths remain substantially lower than 1999, when a total of 22 people died in Kosciusko County accidents. [[In-content Ad]]
A Chicago man died Thursday night after the semi tractor/trailer he was driving slammed into the back of another rig stopped at a traffic light on U.S. 30.
Ryszard Kulinski, 52, suffered internal injuries and was taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, where he died about an hour after the 10:03 p.m. accident at the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 250E, near Warsaw.
According to the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, Kulinski was eastbound on U.S. 30 when he rear-ended a semi tractor/trailer driven by Stephen J. Vallely, 48, Fort Wayne. Vallely told police he was stopped at the traffic light at CR 250E when the collision occurred. Vallely was did not suffer any visible injuries as a result of the accident and refused medical attention.
Joseph Rasmussen of Withee, Wis., was the driver of a third rig on U.S. 30 at the time of the accident and was about one-quarter mile behind Kulinski's rig. Rasmussen told police he saw the taillights go out on Kulinski's rig, but couldn't remember whether the trailer had lights on it prior to the collision.
In a written statement, Rasmussen noted, "Don't remember seeing brake lights before everything went dark." Rasmussen also said he saw smoke coming from the hood area of Kulinski's rig and realized a crash had happened.
Police said Kulinski was semi-conscious at the scene of the accident prior to going to KCH, and that the Samaritan helicopter was put on standby due to the severity of Kulinski's injuries. However, he succumbed to his injuries before he could be stabilized for air transport.
Blood tests were taken on both drivers after the accident to determine whether either was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The results of those tests are not yet available.
Damage to Kulinski's tractor registered to A&A Express Inc., Chicago, and trailer registered to Transport International Pool Inc., Devon, Pa., was estimated at a total of $25,000 to $50,000. Damage to Vallely's rig, of which both the tractor and trailer were registered to B&K Leasing, Columbia City, was estimated at $10,000 to $25,000.
Kulinski's death marks the 11th traffic fatality on Kosciusko County roads this year. Traffic deaths remain substantially lower than 1999, when a total of 22 people died in Kosciusko County accidents. [[In-content Ad]]