Updated Information on Saturday Fatal Crashes Near Greenville

Illinois State Police Tuesday released additional information on the two crashes, each involving fatalities, that occurred Saturday evening on I-70 near Greenville.

The first crash occurred at approximately 4:30pm in the eastbound lanes west of Greenville. Police report a SUV was traveling west. For unknown reasons, the SUV, driven by 49-year-old Sarah Davis of Vandalia left the roadway to the left, crossed the grass median, and entered the eastbound lanes of the interstate. An eastbound semi driven by 36-year-old Aaron Majors of Kansas City, Missouri, attempted to avoid the oncoming SUV but was unable to avoid a collision. The SUV struck the driver side of the semi. 

Davis was fatally injured and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Majors was not injured.

The eastbound lanes of the interstate were closed for the investigation, and were reopened about 9pm Saturday.

Just after 8pm Saturday, another crash occurred on eastbound I-70, about two miles west of the first crash. A truck pulling a horse trailer driven by 58-year-old Anthony Feldhake of Mason and a semi driven by 42-year-old Satnam Singh of Stockton, California waiting on the backup from the first crash when a semi driven by 47-year-old Ali Haji of Minneapolis, Minnesota failed to reduce speed and struck the rear of the horse trailer, forcing the unit into the rear of Singh's stopped semi. 

A passenger in the truck pulling the horse trailer, 66-year-old Gary Bartels of St. Elmo, was airlifted to SSM St. Louis University Hospital where he died of his injuries at 10:11pm Sunday. Haji was taken for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Singh and Feldhake reported no injuries at the scene.

State police diverted traffic onto US Route 40, with all lanes reopened at 3:05am Sunday.

Three of the horses in the horse trailer died and the fourth horse was injured.

Haji was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash.