Truck Accidents 360 Newswire

HIGHLAND, IL – A fiery truck accident killed the driver of a semi and his passenger Monday morning, August 9, on an interstate in Madison County, Illinois. The deadly collision, which occurred near the city of Highland in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70, happened as traffic slowed for an earlier trailer truck accident. The accident area is in the southwest section of the state about 35 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri and about 93 miles northwest of Carbondale, IL.

Shortly before 7:00 a.m. Monday morning 30 year old Jason C. Scott of Grove City, IL was driving a Kenworth semi trailer truck west on Interstate 70 through Madison County, IL. About 10 minutes earlier a semi had crashed into an overpass in the same area and became disconnected from its trailer. The trailer broke open and spilled its load of food products out onto the highway. The incident occurred at mile marker 27.

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As Mr. Scott approached mile marker 29 on the interstate traffic began to slow due to the earlier truck accident and the truck driver brought his 18 wheeler rig to a stop in the right lane. Directly behind the semi truck was a Ford Ranger driven by 30 year old Nicholas R. Neer of Mulberry Grove, IL and behind the Ford was a second Kenworth semi tractor truck driven by 53 year old Gary L. Fellure of Grove City, Ohio.

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As the vehicles waited in traffic on the interstate a 2000 Freightliner semi trailer truck came up in the right lane moving at a faster rate of speed. The Freightliner truck pulled a trailer with the Butternut Bread logo and was driven by 52 year old Jerald D. Jaynes of Seymour, Indiana. A passenger, identified as 23 year old William Burleson of Greensburg, IN, rode in the cab.

According to officials Mr. Jaynes was unable to slow his 18 wheeler rig and slammed into the rear of the stopped Kenworth trailer truck driven by Mr. Fellure. The truck accident set off a chain reaction as the Kenworth rear-ended the Ford Ranger which in turn hit the back of the Kenworth semi truck driven by Mr. Scott.

The impact of the truck accident apparently damaged one or more fuel tanks on the semi which set off the collision and the Freightliner burst into flames. The driver and his passenger were trapped in the cab of the semi trailer and were unable to escape the fire.

Firefighters and emergency workers rushed to the scene of the fiery truck accident and battled the flames on the Freightliner. Unfortunately they were unable to reach the victims in time and Mr. Jaynes and Mr. Burleson died at the scene.

The driver of the Ford Ranger, Mr. Neer, and the driver of the second Kenworth, Mr. Fellure, suffered minor injuries in the multi truck accident. They were treated and stabilized at the scene and then transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland.

The driver of the first Kenworth semi trailer truck, Mr. Scott, was not injured in the truck accident.

The deadly collision closed down several westbound lanes of I-70 between Illinois 143 and US Highway 43 while highway crews cleared the roadway and tow wreckers removed the disabled vehicles. The lanes would remain closed for more than nine hours and traffic was diverted around the site of the truck accident.

Illinois State Police and other investigators conducted a reconstruction of the truck accident. They have not brought any charges at this time and the incident remains under investigation.

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