It was a grim stretch of back-to-back crashes near Monmouth, as two serious wrecks on consecutive days left one driver dead and at least five people injured, according to county officials.
The first collision happened around 11:40 a.m. Monday at the intersection of 245th Avenue and 120th Street, when a passenger car collided with a semi pulling a tanker trailer. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.
Early Tuesday morning, another major crash was reported on U.S. 67 at 280th Avenue, where a garbage truck and a passenger van collided. Five people from the van were taken for treatment, and two of them were airlifted to area hospitals by medical helicopter.
Those initial details came from a brief bulletin issued by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and relayed by Radio Monmouth. As reported by 977 WMOI, the Illinois State Police is investigating both crashes, and media inquiries are being directed to that agency.
What officials are saying
With two serious wrecks hitting so close together, Warren County Sheriff Martin Edwards is urging drivers to slow down and give themselves extra time, especially with construction and traffic delays continuing on U.S. 67 north of Monmouth.
"Motorists are reminded to drive defensively, obey all traffic laws, and not become distracted by the use of electronic devices," the sheriff’s office said, according to 977 WMOI.
State rules and safety
The Illinois State Police notes that the state’s Move Over Law requires drivers to move over and slow down for stopped emergency and service vehicles, and that violations can bring significant penalties when crashes result in injury.
For drivers who end up involved in a wreck, the ISP maintains an online crash reports page on the Illinois State Police site, which includes guidance on filing crash reports or obtaining a copy and provides contact details for trooper districts and records.
How to help investigators
Investigators are asking anyone with information, photos, or video related to either crash to contact the Illinois State Police or the Warren County Sheriff’s Office so their accounts can be included in the probe.
A separate local summary of Tuesday’s wreck that matches the reported casualty figures was posted by LocalAccidentReports, which corroborates the initial bulletin.
