SOUTH BEND — An Elkhart man died of injuries he sustained in an accident that shut down the Bypass Tuesday morning.

Police say 33-year-old Dennis Massengill was southbound on the highway when his Dodge pickup truck went out of control on a patch of ice near the U.S. 20-U.S. 31 interchange, near the South Bend Regional Airport about 8:10 a.m.

Massengill’s truck struck the concrete median twice before turning sideways in the path of a semi-truck driven by a Grand Rapids man.

Massengill, who was initially trapped and unconscious inside his vehicle, was taken Memorial Hospital, where he died just before 1 p.m.

Police say alcohol does not appear to be a factor and the crash is still under investigation, though it appears icy roads are to blame.

“Bridges always freeze before main roadways do, because there's no dirt under them to keep them warm,” explained Sgt. Bill Krauss of the South Bend Police Department. “Everybody has to remember — on days like today when you're on a bridge you have got to be real careful, because it can look like it's dry and it's black ice and you don't realize it until you're on it."

Police ask that anyone who witnessed the accident call the South Bend police department at (574) 235-7515.

See more images from the scene of the accident:

Photo 1
Photo 2

Police had to close the southbound lanes of the Bypass between U.S. 20 and State Road 2 for more than five hours.