June 10, 2020
At 2:26 P.M. on Tuesday, June 2nd the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office 911 Communication Center received multiple reports of a collision involving several semi-tractor-trailers in the westbound lanes of US 30; in the area of CR 250 E. Initial arriving units located a total of three tractor/trailers involved in the collision.
The semi-tractor driven by Vlad Ardelean sustained significant damage when it struck the rear of the enclosed trailer directly in front of it. The semi-tractor driven by Lucjan Kuzinski was then pushed forward, into the rear of a trailer; which was towed by a semi-tractor driven by Raymond Curtiss. Neither Kuzinski nor Curtiss was injured in the crash. Ardelean’s Volvo initially had a fire in the engine compartment.
A lengthy extrication was required to remove Ardelean from his vehicle. Large retaining wall segments on the trailer he was hauling penetrated the cab of the semi-tractor when the collision occurred. Employees with Reichert and Knepp Wrecker Service assisted with the extrication by using their rotator to lift the concrete segments out of the cab. Crouse Body Shop used a large wrecker to stabilize the rear of Kuzinski’s trailer; which had been pierced by Ardelean’s semi-tractor, during the rescue. Once he was removed from the wreckage, Ardelean was airlifted by Lutheran Air Ambulance to Lutheran Hospital, where he was treated for burns on his lower legs.
According to investigators with the Kosciusko County Fatal Team, Curtiss and Kuzinski were traveling at a very low speed due to backed up traffic. Ardelean did not slow for the traffic, prior to the collision. All three vehicles were traveling in the right-hand lane of US 30.
This crash remains under investigation.