Police say trucker passed out behind wheel after ‘choking on chocolate’

Indiana State Police say that a piece of candy was to blame for a serious crash that stalled traffic on both directions of I-65.

The crash happened around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2, in Tippecanoe County, according to a news release from the Indiana State Police.

Troopers say that 50 year old North Carolina-based truck driver Robert E. Tate was traveling northbound on I-65 when, near mile marker 174, he began to “choke on the piece of chocolate he was eating and lost consciousness.”

Tate’s truck crashes off the left side of I-65 into a metal barrier and finally came to a stop after hitting the concrete barrier for the southbound lanes of I-65.

A southbound passenger vehicle was damaged by debris from the crash, but no serious injuries were reported as a result of the crash.

Tate was taken to the hospital for treatment of breathing problems.

The incident caused serious traffic slow downs in both directions of I-65 while crews worked to remove the crashed semi truck.