(LAGRANGE COUNTY) – The driver of a semi was killed when his vehicle rolled over on the Indiana Toll Road.

The Indiana State Police say at 8:30 PM Thursday, 35 year old Omar Pleasont of Portage, Indiana was operating a semi with a bulk liquid tanker and heading east on the Toll Road near the 129.5 mile marker in LaGrange County. For an unknown reason, the semi went off the road and entered the center median. Both the semi and the tanker rolled over, with the tanker separating from the semi.

The tanker came to rest in the median, while the semi ended on it's top in the right eastbound lane.

While heading to the scene, troopers were notified that hydrochloric acid was leaking from the tanker. Troopers and a deputy with the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department arrived and checked on Pleasont. He was trapped in the cab and believed to be dead. The damage to the semi was bad enough the officers could not remove Pleasont.

Because of the chemical spill, the immediate area was evacuated until the hazardous material could be cleaned up and deemed safe to the public, as well as first responders. This led to both the east and west bound lanes being closed to through traffic. Once the area was safe for first responders, the LaGrange County Fire and EMS and the LaGrange County Coroner removed Pleasont from the wreckage and made positive identification.

Just after 2 AM Friday, Response Management Services had the hazardous material cleaned up and by 3 AM, traffic on the Toll Road was opened up.

Also assisting Indiana State Police at the scene were the Steuben County Sheriff's Department, and the Angola Fire Department.