Trailer detaches from semi, causing crash that killed mom and teen son, Indiana cops say

A trailer detached from a semi truck driving down a highway in northwestern Indiana, causing a deadly wreck that killed a mother and her teenage son, investigators say.

Angela Oehmen, 36, was driving east on U.S. Highway 30 — near the town of Wanatah — before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Her 14-year-old son, Joseph, was in the passenger seat of their 2022 Kia, and a second child was in the back seat of the vehicle.

Ahead of them, a trucker had just pulled onto the highway after visiting a truck stop, heading in the same direction, the release said.

Suddenly, the trailer came completely loose from the big rig and Oehmen crashed into the back of it.

She and Joseph died at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. The child in the back seat, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital with injuries to their upper body.

The truck driver was not injured, according to the release.

An investigation is underway. No arrests have been made, and investigators are awaiting the results of a toxicology test.

The sheriff’s office did not say what may have caused the trailer to separate from the truck.

This story was originally published October 5, 2022 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Trailer detaches from semi, causing crash that killed mom and teen son, Indiana cops say."