Mechanical Problems Cause Fatal Accident on I-55
Mechanical problems led to a fatal crash on May 13th. According to Illinois State Police, the accident occurred on I-55 near the Poplar Street Bridge. Mark Morris of Curryville, MO was pronounced dead at Gateway Regional Medical Center at 6:31pm that evening according to a report from the Madison County Coroner’s Office.
Morris was driving his silver Dodge Charger and ran out of gas on I-55 at mile marker 3. Morris pulled his car over to the edge of the shoulder. Roughly 18 inches of the car were still on the highway. A black Kia SUV going in the same direction as Morris broke down in the lane next to him. Morris got out of his car to assist the driver of the Kia by looking under the hood.
A red Chevy Tahoe came up behind them and swerved to avoid hitting Morris’ Charger, then collided with the Kia. Morris was thrown almost 200 feet. When a State Trooper arrived, he found Morris to be unconscious and not breathing with major head trauma. He was taken to Gateway Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Driver’s Failure to Slow Down Causes Accident
Two drivers were killed May 14th in an accident on I-74. Ryan Love of Peoria, IL and Tim Feary of Milledgeville were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital and were pronounced dead on arrival.
According to the report from Illinois State Police, a 2013 Peterbilt semi-truck driven by Clifford Rasmussen of Buffalo Lake, MN failed to slow down when approaching a construction zone near mile marker 41 on I-74. The semi struck the back of a Mazda driven by Love and caused a chain reaction that involved 3 more vehicles. The vehicles included a Toyota Camry driven by Feary, a Chevy Equinox, and a Kenworth truck.
The semi and Mazda went into a ditch. Rasmussen and the driver of the Chevy Equinox were sent to St. Mary’s Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The driver of the Kenworth truck was not injured. This accident is still being investigated by the Illinois State Police.
Head-On Collision on I-40
On May 17, a car traveling the wrong way on I-40 caused a crash where two people were killed. The victims were identified as Devin Strong of Nashville, TN and James Hall of Richmond, KY. The police believe that Strong was driving the wrong direction on I-40 when his car hit Hall’s head on. Strong died at the accident site. Hall was also killed.
After the initial collision, Strong’s car was hit by Chris Miles of South Holland, IL. Miles suffered only mild injuries. The police are still investigation why Strong was driving the wrong way on the highway. There was not any evidence of alcohol or drugs at the crash site.
Suspect in Custody After Fatal Hit-and-Run on Natural Bridge
In the early morning on May 18th, Jarrel Nixon was killed when he was hit by a car near the 2600 block of Natural Bridge in St. Louis. A witness informed the police that someone driving a 2011 Chrysler 200 was speeding and ran a red light, fatally injuring Nixon. The Chrysler fled the scene, but the vehicle was located later in the morning near Natural Bridge and Parnell. No other details have become available.
If someone you or someone you love has been injured or killed as a result of someone else’s negligence on the road, talk to an experienced personal injury attorney for help.
CONTACT the Lieser Law Firm today for your FREE case evaluation.