Valpo man dies when his motorcycle collides with a car while turning

A motorcyclist from Valparaiso was killed on Saturday morning when a car in front of him made an unexpected turn.

Nicholas Wawok, 46, died of his injuries at the scene of the accident near 197 E. Division Road, according to a news release from the Porter County Coroner’s Office.

At around 11:31 a.m., police were called to the crash site and tried to save lives. But Wawok was dead.

After an initial investigation and interviews with witnesses, police determined that a 2014 Lexus SUV was traveling westbound on Division Road west of Indiana 49 and Wawok was also traveling westbound on Division Road behind the Lexus, according to a Porter County Sheriff’s Office news release. The driver of the Lexus attempted to turn right into a private business parking lot, but then suddenly attempted to turn around and continue eastbound on Division Road.

The driver of the Lexus did not yield the right of way to the motorcycle and pulled in directly in front of it, the press release said. The motorcycle then collided with the Lexus.

The Porter County Accident Reconstruction Unit is investigating.

Originally published: July 22, 2024 at 1:10 p.m.