A Michigan City man died Tuesday in a two vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. Highway 20 and Wagner Road, Porter Police said.

The victim was identified as Lance Stroobandt, 37. Porter County Deputy Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene at 7:20 p.m., Coroner Vicki Deppe told the Chesterton Tribune today. An autopsy was scheduled for this morning.

According to police, at 6:52 p.m. Stroobandt was eastbound on U.S. 20 when Brian Otto, 24, of Panama City Beach, Fla., attempted to turn left from westbound U.S. 20 onto southbound Wagner Road. Otto’s 2005 Ford pickup truck struck Stroobandt’s Honda passenger car in the driver’s side door, police said.

Stroobandt was extricated from his vehicle by Porter firefighters, who were forced to cut the roof off the car and then use two tow trucks provided by Joe’s Towing Inc. to pull the vehicle apart, Fire Chief Lewis Craig said.

No further information was available. The PPD said that the accident remains under investigation.

Posted 8/20/2008