Three Wednesday Crashes Result in Injuries, Traffic Delays

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Published on April 18 2019 10:50 am
Last Updated on April 18 2019 10:50 am
Written by Greg Sapp

(As we were posting this item, another crash was being worked on I-70 near Altamont. Initial information is that the driver of the semi involved was not injured, but traffic tieups had resulted since the area is part of a construction zone)

Three crashes resulted in injuries on the interstates around Effingham on Wednesday.

A car and semi were involved in a crash at 12:23pm on I-70 Eastbound, one mile east of Montrose.

The car, driven by 39-year-old Bonnie Swofford of Neoga, ran off the roadway to the left. State police say Swofford overcorrected and the car spun out of control. The car came back onto the roadway and was struck by the semi, driven by 34-year-old Robert Stonebarger of Anderson, Indiana. The car came to rest in the median, while the semi came to a stop on the roadway shoulder.

Swofford was injured, along with two passengers, 45-year-old Verrin Mull of Effingham and 44-year-old Christopher Flora of Teutopolis. All three were taken for treatment. Stonebarger was not injured.

Swofford was cited for operating on an expanded driver's license, operating on an expired registration, illegal transportation of open alcohol, improper lane usage and DUI.

The portion of I-70 between Effingham and Montrose was impacted by the crash for several hours

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Two cars collided at 7:23am Wednesday on I-57 Northbound, seven miles south of Effingham.

State police report the cars were driven by a 16-year-old female from St. Louis and 60-year-old Marian Fulk of Farina. Fulk merged into the left lane to avoid IDOT work crews and reduced her speed. The vehicle driven by the 16-year-old failed to slow and struck Fulk's car from behind. 

Both drivers were injured and were taken to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

The 16-year-old, whose name was not released, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash.

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A semi ran off I-57 Northbound near the Watson-Mason interchange at 3:55am Wednesday.

State police report the rig, driven by 40-year-old Harjit Singh Mall of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, ran off the roadway to the east and overturned onto its passenger side.

Mall was injured and was transported to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

Mall was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash, as well as improper lane usage.