A Valparaiso man died on Tuesday in a two vehicle accident on Ind. 49 in Pleasant Township, the Porter County Sheriff’s Police said.

The victim was identified as Matthew Dusette, 19.

According to police, at 9:27 a.m. Dusette was traveling in the 600 south block of Ind. 49 when he drove his 2008 Chevrolet Aveo left of center and collided head-on with a semi-tractor trailer.

The driver of the semi was Timothy Parker, 51, of Kokomo.

Dusette was pronounced dead at the scene of multiple blunt-force trauma to the entire body, Coroner Chuck Harris told the Chesterton Tribune today.

Dusette’s passenger, Sarah Jinkerson, 18, also of Valparaiso, was transported to Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus, then airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital. The PCSP said that, contrary to a report on another newspaper’s website, Jinkerson did not die en route but was in the Intensive Care Unit at South Bend Memorial this morning.

Parker was not injured in the crash and was able to escape his semi, which caught on fire after the crash, police said.

The results of a routine toxicology screen conducted by the Coroner’s Office are pending.

The PCSP was assisted at the scene by Kouts Police, the Indiana State Police, the Kouts and Morgan Township fire departments, and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Posted 5/4/2011