Illinois winters can be brutal, as anyone who lives or frequently travels here can attest. While the state does its best to keep roadways plowed and keep travelers as safe as possible, motorists and pedestrians must proceed with caution at all times. Icy roads are particularly perilous, often the scenes of motor vehicle accidents in this state and others.
A recent tragedy occurred on Highway 41. An icy road was cited as a probable causal factor in the incident. A man was traveling in a southbound direction when he reportedly lost control of his steering.
His car careened over the traffic line and slammed into a vehicle that was heading in the opposing direction. The sudden impact of the collision was so severe that a passenger in the northbound car was ejected from the vehicle. Sadly, the country coroner who responded to the accident pronounced the man dead at the scene.
The driver of the vehicle that was hit was airlifted to a trauma facility in Peoria. Other occupants in the same vehicle were transported to a local hospital in serious conditions. The person behind the wheel of the car that veered across the line was also injured in the crash. Two people (the driver of the first car and the passenger that was ejected from the second) were said to have been traveling without proper seat restraints. Illinois motor vehicle accidents that result in serious or fatal injuries often lead to litigation in civil court when recovering victims or family members of deceased victims seek financial recovery for their losses.
