One Killed in Six-Vehicle Crash on I-57 in Coles County

One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on I-57 in Coles County Thursday afternoon.

The crash happened at 3:37pm in the northbound lanes about a mile south of the Lake Land College interchange.

District 10 Illinois State Police report five of the vehicles were stopped in traffic due to an earlier crash that occurred in the northbound lanes about two miles south of the Illinois Route 16 interchange. The sixth vehicle failed to slow down and struck a passenger car from behind. The sixth vehicle then struck a semi-trailer, knocking the trailer into the passing lane. The sixth vehicle then struck another passenger car, causing that car to be pushed into the back of a SUV. Another semi was stationary in the passing lane when the trailer of the first semi struck it after being hit by the sixth vehicle.

Police at this point have no information on the sixth vehicle, and there are no names available of those individuals involved in the crash. The person killed was in the first car to be struck by the sixth vehicle. No information is being released on the person killed pending notification of next-of-kin.

The first semi involved was driven by a 40-year-old man from Richland, Indiana; the second car was driven by a 59-year-old man from Charleston who was injured and was taken to the hospital for treatment, the SUV was driven by a 22-year-old man from Newark, Illinois, and the second semi was driven by a 50-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Traffic on I-57 was blocked in both directions for a time. Southbound lanes were back open by 5pm, but northbound lanes remained closed until around midnight.

(A PHOTO FROM A LISTENER OF THE FIRST CRASH)

In the earlier crash, two semis and a SUV were involved. That crash left a semi in the median and another on its side blocking one of the northbound lanes. 

We will pass along additional information as it becomes available.