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Two people were injured Thursday night when their pickup was struck by a semi tractor/trailer at the intersection of U.S. 30E and Anchorage Road at the north edge of Warsaw.
Robert E. Firestone, 56, of South Edgewater Drive, Silver Lake, suffered head injuries and was knocked unconscious upon impact. A passenger in the pickup, Linda S. Firestone, 52, of the same address, suffered chest injuries. Both were treated at Kosciusko Community Hospital and released.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report, Robert Firestone was headed north on Anchorage Road, turning right onto U.S. 30E, when an eastbound semi tractor/trailer driven by Everette R. Williamson, 47, North Judson, reportedly ran the red light at the intersection. The accident occurred about 8:20 p.m. and shut down the eastbound lanes of U.S. 30 for about 1-1/2 hours.
Williamson told police that his light was yellow and that he couldn't avoid a collision with Firestone when he pulled into his path. However, two witnesses stated that Williamson ran the red light. He was cited for disregarding an automatic signal.
The semi was hauling rolls of steel, one of which came loose in the accident, slammed into the back of the semi cab, then rolled off the trailer and into a storm drainage ditch. The roll, estimated to weigh 30,000 pounds, left two large indentations in the middle of the eastbound lanes of the highway. U.S. 30E was reduced to one lane until 2 a.m. today.
A temporary patch was put on the damaged areas Thursday night, and a permanent repair is expected to be completed by the end of today.
