Fatal Crash in Hammond Under Investigation
HAMMOND, IN – A fatal single-vehicle crash in the early hours of Saturday, May 31, 2025, is under active investigation by the Hammond Police Department after a 47-year-old man lost his life in a violent collision on Kennedy Avenue.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 7400 block of Kennedy Avenue, where they discovered a severely damaged vehicle that had collided with multiple unoccupied Domino’s Pizza delivery vehicles parked in a nearby lot.
According to preliminary findings, the vehicle, identified as an SUV, was traveling northbound on Kennedy Avenue when the crash occurred. Witnesses reported seeing the SUV strike a curb, then veer over the median and into a grassy area before slamming into the parked delivery cars on the opposite side of the roadway.
The driver and sole occupant of the SUV was ejected from the vehicle during the impact. Emergency responders pronounced the driver deceased at the scene.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Michael Anthony Valdez, 47, of Dyer, Indiana.
No other injuries were reported, and no pedestrians or other vehicles were involved in the collision.
The Hammond Police Department’s Traffic Division is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. It has not yet been determined whether speed, impairment, or mechanical failure played a role.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has additional information to contact the Hammond Police Department.
As the community mourns the sudden loss of life, officials continue their work to piece together the events that led to the tragic accident.
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