Valparaiso man dies in Friday night wreck

A Valparaiso man, 20, died after a one-car crash Friday night in which his vehicle struck a tree, police said.

Deputies from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department were called around 9:48 p.m. for a single-vehicle crash on County Road 600 West, north of Division Road, according to a release from Sgt. Ben McFalls, the department’s public information officer.

An initial investigation showed that a 2012 Volvo SUV was traveling northbound on 600 W and went off the road near a curve, striking a tree that was on the east side of the road.

When units arrived, the driver, Caleb Ortiz, had passed away and later had to be extricated, police said

“Please keep the family and friends of the driver in your thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time,” McFalls said in the release. “We appreciate all the Agencies that assisted during this investigation.”