Effingham Man Injured in Crash of Car, Semi East of Altamont

An Effingham man was injured in a crash involving a car and a semi Thursday afternoon east of Altamont.

State police report the crash occurred at 3:23pm when a car driven by 36-year-old Luke Culbertson of Effingham ran off westbound I-70 to the left. Culbertson's car crossed through the median and onto the eastbound lanes where it struck the left rear tandem wheels of a semi-trailer that was being pulled by a semi driven by 65-year-old Bernard Osterberg of Paducah, Kentucky.

Culbertson was entrapped in the car and extricated by the Altamont Fire Department. He was then flown by Air Evac to HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Osterberg was not injured.

The eastbound lanes of I-70 at the crash scene were closed for more than an hour and a half.

Police are continuing their investigation into the crash. Witnesses told police they thought Culbertson might have suffered a medical emergency that resulted in the crash.