One individual died at the scene of a crash last week involving a semi-truck and a dump truck near Momence. According to authorities, one of the four vehicles involved burst into flames near a construction zone. The incident caused the closing of Illinois Route 1/17 until after 3:00 p.m.
Officials state the dump truck was flagged down by a construction worker as he was driving west on 9500 East Road Illinois Route 1/17. There was another passenger vehicle behind him, followed by the semi. The semi was unable to stop in time, the passenger vehicle was sandwiched between the two big trucks. As the dump truck and semi crushed the passenger vehicle, it burst into flame. Another vehicle was forced off the road, in efforts to avoid hitting the semi-truck and came to a stop in a nearby ditch.
The decedent’s name had not been revealed. The county coroner expressed the level of difficulty involved in attempts to extract the unknown victim from the fiery crash. At that point, it was uncertain how many passengers were inside.
On the day of the incident, construction workers had just begun working at about 8:00 a.m. They expected to be working on a project in that area for several days. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the work included putting in bump strips that alert passengers their vehicles are veering too far off the road.
Both operators of the trucks were transported to Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee. One driver was later released. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Our roads and highways have been built to safely transport us to where we need to go. It is critical that all drivers exercise good judgment, and be on the lookout, not just for themselves, but for the other vehicles that we all share the road with. When a trucking accident occurs, it often has tragic consequences. Drivers who are found negligent or reckless could be held liable for injuries or death that are the result of such accidents.
Source: daily-journal.com, “At least 1 dead in fiery crash near Momence” Dennis Yohnka, Sep. 26, 2013
