An early morning crash in Momence turned deadly on Sunday when a single vehicle slammed into a tree at Maple Street and Washington Street, killing two people and leaving two others in critical condition. First responders pronounced two occupants dead at the scene, while the remaining two were rushed to local hospitals, including one who was airlifted for emergency care. Authorities had not released the victims' names or identified a possible cause of the wreck.
Crash details
The Momence Police Department said in a Facebook post that the crash happened around 2 a.m. Sunday in the area of Maple Street and Washington Street, according to Shaw Local. Police said the vehicle left the roadway and hit a tree, with two of the four people inside pronounced dead at the scene. The other two occupants were taken to hospitals in critical condition.
Why a tree strike is often deadly
Run-off-road crashes that end with a vehicle hitting a tree or utility pole are often devastating because there is little room for the vehicle to shed energy safely before impact. Trees and utility poles account for about 63 percent of fixed objects struck and are involved in roughly 14 percent of all fatal crashes, according to a review by the Federal Highway Administration. Those numbers help explain why transportation officials push for clear recovery zones, more forgiving roadside designs, and similar safety measures on rural and suburban roads.
Investigation and records
Momence police continued to investigate the crash and had not released any additional information at the time of the Daily Journal's report, according to Shaw Local. Individuals, attorneys and insurance companies seeking official documentation can request crash reports through the Momence Police Department's Forms and Reports page, which outlines how to submit requests and download available reports online.
