Police: Michigan City man killed in crash had very high blood alcohol level

February 06, 2012|By Stan Maddux | WSBT Correspondent

A Michigan City man killed in a head-on collision he caused just north of Wanatah had an extremely high blood alcohol content, say LaPorte County police.

Michael Kieszkowski, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The driver he hit, 20-year-old Keith Belcher of North Judson complained of just minor injuries and refused medical attention, said police.

At 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, officers were called to U-S 421 near 1000 South. According to police, Kieszkowski was pinned inside his heavily damaged 1997 Pontiac Trans Am and not moving with a deployed air bag in his face.

Police said Belcher told investigators that he was southbound on the two-lane highway when the oncoming Kieszkowski began flashing his high beam headlights off and on.

Belcher said he did not have his high beam headlights on, but started flashing his to signal to the oncoming driver that he was not using them.

Kieszkowski then veered into the opposite lane striking Belcher, who despite evasive measures was unable to avoid the head-on crash, police said.

Police said Belcher was getting out of his 2001 Dodge Ram when the pickup truck caught fire. The vehicle was engulfed in flames as emergency responders began arriving.

''He's very, very lucky. Thank goodness he wasn't pinned inside his vehicle,'' said La Porte County Coroner John Sullivan.

Sullivan said Kieszkowski had a .32-percent blood alcohol content, or four times above the state's .08-percent legal limit.

About a dozen beer cans were recovered from the victim's car, said Sullivan.

Sullivan said Kieszkowski apparently was on his way back home after visiting family in North Judson.

According to court records, Kieszkowski was charged with operating while intoxicated and disorderly conduct in September in a case that was still pending in LaPorte Superior Court 3.

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