Published on April 24, 2025 3:07 pm
Last Updated on April 24, 2025 3:07 pm
A Salem man was found dead in his vehicle at Effingham Wednesday night.
Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said 73-year-old Gerald L. Crist was found dead at 7:49pm. Rhodes said Illinois State Police received a call for a motorist assist along Southbound I-57 between the Keller Drive and US Route 45 interchanges. Arriving officers found Crist unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle on the side of the interstate. Rural Med EMS arrived and attempted resuscitation, but their efforts were unsuccessful and Rhodes’ office was called to the scene.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Crist had been driving southbound on I-57 when his wife observed him go unresponsive. Crist’s vehicle ran off the roadway and struck a concrete barrier wall, which caused minimal damage to his vehicle. Rhodes said Crist’s death was not caused by the crash, but due to a medical emergency while driving. Medical records were requested and the investigation continues by the Effingham County Coroner’s Office.
Agencies responding to the incident were Illinois State Police, Rural Med EMS, and the Effingham County Coroner’s Office.
