Who Handles a Crash on the Indiana Toll Road Near South Bend?

April 9, 2026

• The Indiana Toll Road near South Bend is one of the busiest roads in the state, helping to make the county one of Indiana’s most dangerous for drivers.
• If you are in a crash on the Indiana Toll Road, the jurisdiction will be with the Indiana State Police.
• Having a South Bend car accident attorney who understands the rules of reporting and knows who to blame will help you get the settlement you deserve.

If you live in or near South Bend, the Indiana Toll Road is your local national highway. The older highway signs which used to say “Chicago and West” and “Ohio and East” neatly demonstrate how the Toll Road is a key part of a continent-spanning highway. You can turn right where Lasalle meets 933 and your next stop could be the Pacific.

But what that means is traffic – lots of traffic, heading both ways. Driving on the Indiana Toll Road near South Bend means driving with thousands of people streaming across the state and country. It can be a dangerous road, and accidents on it are common.

If you are in an accident there, you need to know the right steps to take in order so that you can obtain the settlement you deserve, and determining who handles a crash on the Indiana Toll Road near South Bend is your first step to getting back to where you want to be.

Why the Indiana Toll Road Has So Many Crashes

Car crashes are unfortunately far from unheard of on the Indiana Toll Road, especially near South Bend. In fact, according to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, St. Joseph county has the fourth highest amount of crashes of any county in Indiana, behind only Marion, Lake, and Allen.

And while those aren’t all on the Toll Road, many of them are. What the top four counties have in common is the prevalence of highways. These roads have not just regular cars on them, but a lot of trucks and government vehicles as well. I-80/90, spanning from coast to coast, is essentially the national Main Street. So even if you’re just going from South Bend to Granger, you’re going to be dealing with people in a hurry to get everywhere else.

To you, it might feel like a local road. But that’s not what it is. And that’s not how the law treats it.

Indiana State Police Handles Crashes on the Indiana Toll Road

If you get into an accident on the Indiana Toll Road, it’s critical to move to a safe place and call the authorities. In this case, that will be the Indiana State Police, not local South Bend officers.  (The rare exception is if the accident happens on a ramp. Those fall under local jurisdiction.)

The reason it is important to know this is because there will probably be South Bend authorities there as well. It is very common for the ISP to lean on local police agencies to help manage traffic and coordinate with other first responders like firefighters and ambulances. So you will see South Bend police, but they are not the ones in charge.

This has implications for your case. The Indiana State Police will be the ones who file your accident report, which means they are the ones you would have to contact to get a copy of it. Specifically, you will have to contact the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post, in Elkhart near Exit 96.

These jurisdictions can get complicated. That’s why it is vital to have an experienced South Bend car accident attorney handle your case.

How a South Bend Car Accident Lawyer Can Simplify the Complex

When you work with an experienced South Bend car accident lawyer, you get a team that understands the rules governing the Toll Road and how to navigate the system. You get a team that understands how to fight against insurance companies who might try to deny your claim.

One thing your South Bend personal injury lawyer can do for you is figure out how to assign blame. If there is a truck involved, a South Bend truck accident lawyer can help sort evidence and laws to know who is at fault. This could be the driver, the shipping company, the company whose goods are being shipped, or some combination of defendants.

The fault could also lie with the government: if the accident is with a state or municipal vehicle, there are different laws. The state could also potentially be liable if the road is in bad condition. And, given that the Indiana Toll Road is on the “lake effect” side of Lake Michigan, we know how bad the roads can get.

Your South Bend car or truck accident lawyer can get your case started right. And when it comes to making sure that your eventual settlement makes you whole, the right start is crucial.

Reach Out to Our Experienced South Bend Car Accident Attorneys

Crashes on the Toll Road near South Bend don’t just derail your trip – they can change your entire life. The right car accident lawyers can help you get back on track, like the lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, PC, a dedicated Indiana personal injury law firm whose experienced attorneys have been fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured since 1998.

Simply call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form now for a free consultation with a knowledgeable Evansville car accident attorney.