Indiana State Police said a fourth child and the driver were critically injured after an SUV struck a parked semi.
HOBART, IN — Two children and a 19-year-old were killed early Friday when an SUV struck a parked semi-trailer on Interstate 65 near Hobart, Indiana State Police said, leaving another child and the driver critically injured.
Authorities first reported that three juveniles had died, but later corrected the count after the Lake County Coroner’s Office determined one of the victims was 19. The crash has drawn attention because police said none of the young passengers was properly restrained, one was thrown from the vehicle and alcohol is believed to have been a factor. The driver, identified by police as 31-year-old Renee Foster of Gary, was hospitalized and was not in custody while receiving medical treatment.
Troopers from the Indiana State Police Lowell Post were called at about 12 a.m. Friday to the southbound lanes of I-65 near the 257.2 mile marker, about a mile south of Ridge Road. Police said they found a blue Ford Explorer facing west and blocking the right two lanes after it struck the rear of a white Freightliner Cascadia with an attached box trailer. The semi had been parked on the right shoulder because of mechanical problems. State police said Foster had been traveling south in the right lane and allegedly fell asleep, drove off the roadway and hit the trailer at a high rate of speed. “The Explorer sustained catastrophic damage,” police said in a statement released through the Lowell Post.
Police said four young passengers were inside the Explorer. A child in the front passenger seat was not properly restrained, was ejected and died from injuries suffered in the crash. A second child seated in the rear left seat also was not properly restrained and died. A third passenger seated in the middle rear seat was not properly restrained and died as well. A fourth child seated in the middle seat of the third row suffered severe injuries and was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Chicago for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries. Foster suffered upper body injuries and was taken to Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point. The semi driver was not injured.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office later identified the dead as 19-year-old Raniah Simpson, 9-year-old Royce Sims and 5-year-old Artavius Sims, according to local reports citing the coroner and a family fundraiser. The coroner’s office said the three died from blunt force trauma. A fundraiser created by a family friend identified the critically injured child as 7-year-old Terrion, a brother of the children who died. Police said the birth years of the juveniles remained part of the investigation. The crash shut down lanes for hours as state police, the Hobart Fire Department, crash reconstruction investigators and the coroner’s office worked at the scene.
Investigators said both drivers consented to blood draws, and the results were pending Friday. State police said alcohol consumption is believed to have been a factor, but any operating while intoxicated charge would depend on the blood test results. Police said felony charges will be submitted to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office for review against Foster. The expected filings include four counts of neglect of a dependent as Level 5 felonies, reckless driving as a Class A misdemeanor, driving with a suspended vehicle registration as a Class C misdemeanor and four child restraint violations as infractions. Foster is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The crash happened on a major north-south route through Lake County, a corridor that carries heavy commuter and commercial traffic between northwest Indiana and the Chicago area. The disabled semi was on the right shoulder when the Explorer hit the trailer, police said. Photos released by fire officials showed heavy damage to the SUV and damage to the rear of the trailer. Hobart firefighters said first responders found three people dead at the scene and two others with critical injuries. The department said crews worked through a difficult overnight response involving multiple agencies and a long highway closure.
By Friday evening, the investigation remained open, with blood test results, final charging decisions and additional crash reconstruction findings still pending. State police said more information could be released as it becomes available, and Foster remained hospitalized while prosecutors awaited the completed case file.
Author note: Last updated May 16, 2026.