On January 28, 2012 a trucker crashed his semi truck into the loading dock at the trucking company where he worked in Edwardsville, IL then caused a 10 hour standoff with police before shooting himself in the head.

Edwardsville is located in Madison County, Illinois in the western part of the state about 164 miles southwest of Champaign and 157 miles southwest of Normal.

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The incident began around 2:00 a.m. early Saturday morning, January 28, 2012 at the Schneider National Trucking Company, 121 Enterprise Dr in Edwardsville. The trucker was identified as Roger Adams, 51 years old from Alton, IL, which is located about 14 miles northwest of the trucking facility in Edwardsville.

Map showing location of the Scneider National Trucking Company at 121 Enterprise Dr. in Edwardsville, IL where a trucker rammed into the building, set fires and then shot himself after a long standoff with police.

Adams reportedly crashed the cab of the 18 wheeler into the building, which caused a fire. He then proceeded to enter the building and set additional fires. This began a long standoff with police after an employee in the building called 911.

Police fired tear gas into the building, after which time Adams shot himself in the head. This happened shortly before 12 noon on Sunday and marked the end of a 10-hour standoff. Adams was transported to Anderson Hospital after which he was airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, MO. He was pronounced dead at 9:14. p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2012.

An article in the Jacksonville, IL Journal-Courier website reported on the story:

The calls prompted a massive response from police and fire crews, which were held at bay for many hours over concerns for their safety. Roads near the scene were shut down. Edwardsville Police Department put out a broadcast on the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network for immediate assistance, which prompted response from numerous departments, as well as the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System tactical team, a SWAT force made up of police from many jurisdictions. A hazardous materials response team also was called in.

It was originally reported that the truck was a fuel tanker, but it turned out to be a semi truck with a container trailer.

Investigators proceeded to Adams’ home where he had spray painted a message that the house was booby-trapped. A bomb squad was called to his residence where it was discovered that he previously had set a fire.

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Fiery semi truck accident in Creve Coeur, IL on I-474 at Route 29 where a big rig trailer plunged over the edge of the overpass onto traffic below. Photo credit: Josh Bradshaw / Times staff

Creve Coeur is located in Tazewell County, Illinois in the central part of the state about 129 miles southwest of Naperville, 91 miles northwest of Champaign and 39 miles northwest of Normal.

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The big rig landed on a minivan and a car on the road below then was set ablaze after its fuel tanks erupted and caught fire. Miraculously, no one was killed in the crash or fire but several people were seriously injured and were transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in nearby Peoria.

The accident happened just before 5:00 p.m. on Friday when the 18 wheeler, driven by 25 year-old Daniel Schafer and traveling westbound on I-474 and was passing another semi truck. The big rig struck the shoulder barrier between the eastbound and westbound sides of the bridge, then jackknifed and went over the edge onto the roadway below.

Map showing location of fiery semi truck accident on I-474 at the Route 29 interchange in Creve Coeur, IL where a refrigerated trailer plunged from the overpass onto motorists below.

The truck was hauling a refrigerated trailer which separated from the truck’s tractor and then went over the edge onto Route 29 below leaving the cab stuck on the overpass above.

An article in the Pekin Daily Times website carried the story:

The semi struck the overpass bridge at Illinois Route 29, causing the semi’s power unit to overturn and the trailer to separate. The trailer went off the overpass and down onto northbound Route 29, where it struck a Chrysler minivan driven by Eva Bowman, 37, of Pekin, and a Saturn passenger car driven by Jennifer Marcacci, 35, of Dunfermline

Diesel fuel began to leak from the big rig’s fuel tanks which caused the blaze.

One witness at the scene believed that the semi truck experienced a tire blowout, which caused the trucker to lose control of the rig.

About 20 fire trucks responded to the incident and traffic was stopped in all directions while firefighters and rescue personnel responded to the accident.

It took several hours to put out the fire and traffic was finally reopened on the eastbound side of I-474 around 9:15 p.m.

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Two semi trucks crash on October 13, 2011 near Peoria, IL on I-74 about 5 miles west of Goodfield spilling 40,000 lbs of pastries and cakes and shutting down part of the Interstate for hours.

Goodfield is located in Tazewell County and Woodford County, Illinois in the central part of the state. Goodfield is about 71 miles northwest of Champaign, 66 miles northwest of Decatur and 19 miles southeast of Peoria.

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The accident occurred around twenty minutes past four a.m. in the morning on the westbound I-74 about half-way between County Highways 6 and 3 (Dee-Mack Rd. and Washington Rd.). One 18-wheeler loaded with food lost control and ran into another.

Map showing location of semi truck accident in Goodfield, IL just east of Peoria on I-74 about half way between County Highways 3 and 6.

The wreck created a sticky, oily slick on the road surface and made it necessary to shut down the Interstate between Goodfield and Morton. Cleanup crews were called in and the spilled food was hauled away to a landfill.

Cake and pastries literally covered the highway. Among the spilled food were donuts and bratwurst. The accident made a sugary, oily slick that had to be pressure-washed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

The semi truck that lost control was driven by 63 year-old Bradford Garrett, from Colorado whose big rig then collided with another tractor-trailer driven by 58 year-old Ronnie Davis, from Indiana.

Both big rig drivers were taken to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria with non-life threatening injuries. They were both treated an then released.

An article in the Central Illinois Newsletter website reports:

The accident could have been much worse. According to Trooper Visione there was another truck traveling a short distance behind the two that collided.

‘He noticed that he didn’t see the tail lights of the trucks in front of him anymore and he noticed the debris all over the road and he decided to stop. He stopped less than 20 yard from the back of one of the trucks.’

Westbound motorists were detoured to Highway 150 from Deerfield to Morton and then finally, re-routed back onto I-74 while the accident scene was being cleaned up.

Traffic was finally allowed to resume on the Interstate around noon on the 13th. All told, I-74 was shut down for about 7 1/2 hours.

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Chicago police told reporters that shots were fired at a black Dodge Intrepid on the city’s South Side, causing the car to hit the westbound No. 75 Chicago Transit Authority bus, which then hit a light pole.

No one was shot when gunfire erupted around 9:30 a.m. on the city’s South Side, Chicago police spokesman Mike Sullivan said. Two people were hospitalized in serious to critical condition, though many of the injuries were caused by shattered glass, authorities said.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Witnesses quoted by local media said two young men armed with AK-47s or Uzis jumped from a red truck, which followed them down the street as they shot at a black sedan.

“They got out of this red truck and started walking and shooting,” Al Perkins, head cook at Ryan Anthony’s restaurant in the 7400 block of South Vincennes, told the Chicago Tribune. “I think they were aiming at a black car down the block… Once they got done, they ran back to the truck.”

Witnesses said the Intrepid was speeding south on Vincennes, ran a red light and slammed the westbound bus near its front door. After the incident, the car was roped off at the scene.

One injured woman was laid out in the doorway of the restaurant.

The incident remains under investigation.

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On Wednesday morning 34 year old James N. Thomas of Enfield, IL was driving a 2002 Peterbilt semi trailer truck through Gallatin County in southeast Illinois. He is employed by Thomas Farms, also based in rural Enfield. The truck accident occurred at around 8:00 a.m. as the truck driver was headed east on IL State Route 13.

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According to officials, the semi driver came up from behind to a 1993 Pontiac Bonneville. As the tractor trailer got closer, the Pontiac driver, 42 year old Cynthia Riggs of Old Shawneetown, began to slow down in order to make a turn onto Old Shawneetown Road. The semi driver allegedly failed to slow down and slammed into the rear of the Pontiac Bonneville. There was one passenger in the car at the time of the truck accident, identified as 43 year old Betty Smith, also of Old Shawneetown.

The force of the rear end collision shoved the Pontiac into the westbound traffic lanes of IL 13, directly into the path of a 1995 Freightliner semi trailer truck driven by 50 year old Daniel L. Case of Shawneetown. Mr. Case attempted to swerve to avoid a collision and hit the passenger side of the Pontiac. The impact apparently damaged the engine compartment of the 18 wheeler and Mr. Case’s semi truck exploded into flames.

The second impact of the truck accident pushed the Pontiac back into the eastbound lanes and reportedly the car was hit again by the Peterbilt semi tractor truck. The Pontiac and the first semi then slid across the eastbound lanes and finally came to a stop at the north side of IL 13. Both female occupants of the Pontiac Bonneville were thrown from the car.

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Gallatin County rescue personnel descended on the multi vehicle crash site. Paramedics found that the two victims in the Pontiac, Ms Riggs and Ms Smith, suffered fatal injuries in the truck accident and they were pronounced dead by an official with the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office.

The driver of the second semi, Mr. Case, was helped from the burning cab of his Freightliner tractor trailer. He sustained unspecified minor injuries in the truck accident and subsequent fire. After initial treatment at the site Mr. Case was transported in a Gallatin County ambulance to Harrisburg Medical Center, about 22 miles away.

Mr. Thomas, the semi driver who set off the fatal collision, was not injured in the truck accident.

The Shawneetown Fire Department battled the flames on the burning semi trailer in the westbound lanes. They eventually extinguished the fire but not before the tractor trailer was heavily damaged. The truck’s owner, whose name was not released, would later tell reporters that the Freightliner semi truck was likely destroyed in the truck accident. He said the loss could have a significant impact on his business, and he was unsure if he would be able to replace the destroyed 18 wheeler.

Police shut down IL 13 and Old Shawneetown Bridge after the deadly incident. Officers rerouted vehicles to secondary roads around the truck accident site but many semi truck drivers were forced to wait several hours before they could move, creating a major back-up. The state of Kentucky also closed a portion of Kentucky State Highway 56, which links to IL 13.

A crew from Dave’s Towing, based in McLeansboro, towed the Peterbilt semi while Rick’s towing of Fairfield hauled the burnt shell of the Freightliner from the truck accident site. The pieces of the destroyed Pontiac Bonneville were cleared off the highway by a crew from Bishop’s Towing of Harrisburg.

The highway and bridge were reopened at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, more than 8 hours after the fatal truck accident.

At this point police have not charged the first semi driver in the truck accident. Some reports indicate that the roads were slick and the conditions caused the truck driver, Mr. Thomas, to lose control of his 18 wheeler.

The Illinois State Police have assigned officers from their Crash Reconstruction Unit and their Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit to investigate the truck accident.

On Friday afternoonhttp://www.truckaccidents360.com/blog/ 61 year old truck driver Milan Tomasevic of Chicago was driving south on the Stevenson Expressway/I-55 traveling through Cook County, IL. The semi trailer truck was owned by G&S Expedited Freight, a trucking company based out of Chicago, IL.

The truck accident occurred at around 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon as the 18 wheeler truck attempted to exit southbound Stevenson Expressway/I-55 at Harlem Avenue. The intersection at the expressway exit ramp is an active construction zone.

An Illinois Department of Transportation contracting crew from Midwest Fencing was repairing a fence at the site of a bridge rebuilding and had closed off and restricted certain traffic lanes to heavy trucks. At the time of the truck accident an electronic sign was posted at the entrance of the expressway exit ramp forbidding Right Turns for semi trucks due to the limited space in the construction work zone.

According to police, the semi truck driver went down the ramp and attempted to make an illegal right turn onto Harlem Ave. in the restricted area of the construction zone. The driver had to keep the turn tight due to the limited space and apparently trapped one of the workers as he made the illegal turn. The construction worker was pinned in between the trailer section of the semi truck and a metal barricade that ran alongside the expressway.
No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.

The driver of the semi truck pulled his rig back but the worker had already been seriously injured in the truck accident. Emergency technicians responding to the collision found that worker was crushed by the semi trailer truck. He was stabilized at the site before being transported to Loyola University Medical Center in nearby Maywood, IL.

According to a hospital spokesperson the construction worker was in extremely critical condition Friday afternoon when he was first brought to the medical center. He would succumb to his injuries a few hours after the truck accident, shortly after 5:30 p.m. Friday evening. The identity of the construction worker was released Saturday after family notification. The victim was 33 year old Aurelio Rosales of Chicago.

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Authorities investigating the deadly incident conducted an accident reconstruction and spoke to witnesses. Their preliminary investigation reportedly points to the truck accident being caused by the driver’s illegal turn in the construction zone. They are trying to determine why the driver ignored the posted signs forbidding Right Turns for semi trucks. Authorities have not indicated whether they believe the driver was reckless, the semi had mechanical problems, or if drugs or alcohol were factors in the deadly crash.

Illinois has enacted severe penalties for drivers who hit or injure workers in highway construction zones following several fatal accidents on the state’s highways. The truck driver could receive a $10,000 fine for hitting the worker and could be sentenced to prison for a term between 3 to 14 years.

The truck driver has been charged with Failure to Stop in a Construction Area, Making an Improper Turn, and Disobeying a Traffic Control Device. Additional citations may be brought pending the completion of the truck accident investigation.

The driver and the trucking company may also be liable for damages to the victim’s family if they bring a Wrongful Death lawsuit once the truck accident investigation is complete.

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.

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.

Local emergency teams responded to the scene of the semi truck accident and police arrived a few moments later. When they went to the SUV they found that three of the four women had received fatal injuries in the collision and were already dead.

On Monday evening at around 5:00 p.m., 55 year old Everett Van Duzee of New Iberia, Louisiana was driving his semi trailer truck north on Interstate 57 in Coles County, IL. He had just driven through Mattoon and was a few miles north of the city entering a construction zone on the interstate when the truck accident occurred.

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According to the Illinois State Police the interstate was going down to one lane, and several vehicles in front of Mr. Van Duzee’s semi trailer truck were attempting to merge over into the single lane. At that moment the truck driver reportedly got distracted and did not realize how fast he was coming up to the slower vehicles.

The semi trailer truck slammed into the first vehicle, a red Trailblazer, hit several others and set off a chain reaction accident that would end up involving nine vehicles.

One of the first vehicles hit was an SUV which authorities believe was driven by 58 year old Deborah Anne Faust of Sardis, Mississippi. Ms. Faust was traveling with three other women, her 80 year old mother Juanita Hall of Sarah, MS, her 61 year old sister Sheila Douglas of Batesville, MS, and a family friend 68 year old Doris Mayo of Sarah, MS. The women were on a trip to visit an Amish community in Illinois and had almost reached their destination when the truck accident occurred.

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After being rear-ended by the semi trailer truck, the SUV went off the road into the center grassy median and burst into flames.

A Chevrolet Equinox was another vehicle that was likely hit by the semi trailer truck. The collision with the 18 wheeler left the smaller vehicle almost completely destroyed. The vehicle was so crushed that some said it appeared to be overturned because it did not look like it was on wheels.

Local emergency teams responded to the scene of the semi truck accident and police arrived a few moments later. When they went to the SUV they found that three of the four women had received fatal injuries in the collision and were already dead.

The driver, Ms. Faust, was still alive but had sustained serious injuries including burns. Once free from the SUV, Ms. Faust was transported by medical helicopter to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield and was being treated in the burn unit.

Authorities were surprised to find two survivors in the crushed Equinox. An unidentified adult woman was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. Her injuries are reportedly serious but not life threatening. An 11 year old girl crawled out of the destroyed vehicle and was reportedly walking around the scene of the truck accident. A man and a boy, who were traveling with the woman but in a separate car, were also involved in the chain reaction truck accident. It is not known if they were injured.

According to officials 13 people were injured in the truck accident, 8 taken to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Coles County and 5 taken to Carle. Two people sustained critical injuries.

The truck driver, Mr. Van Duzee, had minor injuries. He was taken to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center where blood and urine samples were drawn for routine testing that follows a fatal accident. At this time officials do not believe drugs or alcohol were factors in the deadly truck accident.

Highway crews worked into the night removing wreckage from the scene while police conducted a reconstruction and other investigative operations. The interstate was reopened by 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

No charges have been brought against the semi driver at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.

Mangled remains of the 2005 Ford Taurus involved in fatal UPS semi truck accident in Chicago's South Loop on Thursday.

The accident happened when an 18-wheeler operated by United Parcel Service was traveling eastbound on West Roosevelt Road attempting to make a left turn at Canal Street. An oncoming 2005 Ford Taurus was traveling westbound on Roosevelt Road at a high rate of speed when it struck the big rig while it was making the left turn. The Ford Taurus struck a fire hydrant from the force of the collision and then caught fire.

A passenger in the Ford Taurus, 25 year old Rafael Lopez, was killed in the accident. He was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and pronounced dead at 3:35 a.m. His death was ruled an accident. The medical examiner’s office said that an autopsy performed on Thursday revealed that Lopez died of multiple injuries from an automobile striking a truck.

Location of fatal UPS semi truck accident at the intersection of West Roosevelt Road and South Canal Street in Chicago, IL.

According to police, the Chicago Fire Department was called to extricate some of the victims. According to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis, two people who were in serious to critical condition were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and three others in fair condition were taken to University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County.

Below is a Google Street View of the intersection at West Roosevelt Road and South Canal Street. You can click the mouse and drag it around to get a full 360° view of the scene of the accident.

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Although it was not known immediately which driver was at fault, police said that the driver of the Ford Taurus was taken into custody from the scene. As of Friday at 3:00 p.m., he had not been charged.

The police Major Accident Investigation Unit was requested to the scene to investigate the crash.

As of about 4:40 a.m. Thursday morning, Roosevelt Road remained closed but it was not known immediately how far in each direction. Traffic in the area was reopened at about 5:40 a.m.

Shattered glass on the Eisenhower Expressway. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune)

The accident occurred at 6:30 a.m. and the lanes were reopened at about 9:30 a.m.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reported that the bridge itself was structurally sound and based on a preliminary investigation, they determined that the load was over height regulations which resulted in the impact to the overhead sign.

Two vehicles were damaged from the flying debris, but fortunately, no one was hurt.

Truck accident lawyers, Gordon  & Elias state that traveling down a highway with other drivers is sometimes challenging enough. You should not have to dodge rocks and other debris coming from a truck carrying too much of a load that is not secure. Sometimes that “falling debris” takes the form of larger items that can do significant damage to your car or crash through your windshield, seriously injuring you and others.

Gordon & Elias state that truck drivers and trucking companies should be held accountable for their negligence in loading the trailer or flatbed of a commercial truck. They must exercise the highest standards of safety, particularly when a load contains hazardous or volatile material.

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