15-year-old changing tire dies after he’s struck by wheel from semi, Indiana cops say

A 15-year-old boy died after he was struck by a semi’s detached wheel along an Indiana road, according to Indiana police and news reports.

The teen, identified by WGN and the Northwest Indiana Times as William Bell, of Chicago, was helping change a tire on a separate vehicle when the incident occurred Tuesday, Aug. 15, Indiana State Police said.

State police said five people, including Bell, were outside the vehicle with a flat tire that was parked on the shoulder of the Lake County interstate. At the same time, a semi began having mechanical issues.

A tire still attached to the rim came off the semi and traveled along the barrier wall, state police said. It then struck the 15-year-old boy.

Bell was taken to a Chicago hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died Friday, WGN and the Northwest Indiana Times reported.

Four other people assisting in the tire change had non-life threatening injuries, according to state police.

The driver of the semi was taken to a hospital for toxicology tests as standard procedure, but drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the incident, state police said.

This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 6:32 AM with the headline "15-year-old changing tire dies after he’s struck by wheel from semi, Indiana cops say."