Crown Point | Five members of a Hobart family on their way to a Florida vacation were killed early Friday in a fiery crash on southbound Interstate 65 at U.S. 231 when the pickup truck in which they were traveling was crushed between two semitrailers.

Killed in the crash were Brian W. Workman, 33; his wife Joanna L. Workman, 31; and their three children - Ashley Workman, 13; Tyler Workman, 8; and Ryan Workman, 1.

The family was on its way to Florida, a trip that included a visit with Brian's mother, who had never seen the baby, and an excursion to Disney World, friends and relatives said.

Cause of death for all five family members was blunt force trauma, and all suffered extensive burns to their bodies, a Lake County coroner's spokesman said.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Ann Wojas said that at 4:02 a.m. a semitrailer was southbound on I-65 in the right lane at the U.S. 231 exit when traffic slowed.

The driver, George A. Hack, 46, of Elkhorn, Wis., told police he felt something hit him from behind and later realized it was the Dodge pickup truck carrying the Workman family.

Another semi with a double-box trailer was traveling in the same lane when it approached the stopped traffic. That driver - Forest E. Stover, 58, of Huber Heights, Ohio - could not stop in time and hit the rear of the Workmans' truck, pushing it into the rear of the first semi.

The Workmans' vehicle caught fire after impact, police said.

Lake County Sheriff's spokesman Mike Higgins said the traffic on I-65 was because tow trucks were removing the car of a Gary man who police had been pursuing for not wearing a seat belt. The man refused to stop and fled on foot.

Wilbur Stewart Jenkins, 25, of Gary, who had three outstanding warrants, was charged with felony fleeing in a vehicle, misdemeanor fleeing on foot, drivers license never issued, and reckless driving, Higgins said.

Neighbors of the Workmans, who lived in the Nob Hill subdivision of Hobart, said they were shocked and dismayed when they learned of the deaths. An Indiana State Police spokesman broke the news.

Linda McCullough, who had lived next door to the family in the 3200 block of St. Joseph Place, described the Workmans as "the perfect American family."

"It's a shame. ... It's a real shame," McCullough said while wiping away tears.

She said a few years ago, the family moved a few houses to the south on the same street because they had wanted a backyard pool.

McCullough said Joanna Workman was a stay-at-home mom whose primary job was caring for her family. The family's carefully landscaped blue-gray house with an American flag out front looked just as good on the inside as it did the outside, she said.

"They were very nice people; just your typical young family. Something like this shouldn't have happened to them," McCullough said.

Bruce Ison, a pastor who lives across the street from the Workmans, said Tyler was a "nice little fellow who would ride his bike to church."

Ison said Tyler and Ashley attended Sunday School at the New Hope Baptist Church, a church Ison helped found in the neighborhood.

The Workmans were just as highly respected by their school community as they were their neighborhood, River Forest Superintendent Jim Rice said.

He said Ashley, who was going into eighth grade at River Forest Jr./Sr. High School, was in advanced classes and had been helping tutor special-needs students.

"She was an involved, good student who was well liked and enjoyed school," Rice said.

He said Joanna had served as a PTO president at Meister Elementary where Tyler, a third-grader, was attending school.

Chuck Burton, a head custodian at Meister, said Joanna and Brian were actively involved at the school.

He recalls her coming in frequently to help with events. He said she always was pushing the baby in a stroller.

"They were great people," Burton said.

Rice said he will be bringing in grief counselors to the school Monday since summer school still is in session to talk to students and faculty.