Munster Police Officer Ryan Perez
Crash claims life of off-duty Munster Police Officer
Contributed By: The 411 News
Officer's pickup truck and semi collide on Hwy. 41 near St. John
Early Tuesday morning, a traffic accident claimed the life of Munster Police Officer Ryan Perez.
Perez, age 31, was off duty when his pickup truck collided with a semitrailer.
Perez had only been with the Munster Police Department for approximately 3 to 4 months after transferring from a police department in Illinois.
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said officers in his department were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash at approximately 1:05 Tuesday morning to the 11400 block of Wicker Avenue in unincorporated Lake County just south of St. John. The crash involved a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a semi.
When officers arrived, it was determined the driver of the pickup was deceased.
An initial investigation indicates the pickup was traveling north on US highway 41 while the semi was traveling south. The location is south of Hwy. 231.
The driver of the semi, a 41-year-old male from Schererville, was uninjured. He was taken by his employer to a local hospital for state-mandated Department of Transportation testing.
The crash is still under investigation. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Crash Reconstruction Unit and Detective Bureau along with the Lake County Coroner’s Office are conducting the investigation.
Sheriff Martinez said, “I extend my deepest condolences to the Munster Police Department, and to the family and friends of Officer Perez.”
Story Posted:02/25/2025
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