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.

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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Southern Pacific train demolishes semi truck in Morrison, IL. Photo credit: Alex T. Paschal

The driver of the big rig, Darrell Harper, 43 years old from Columbus, IL, was not inside the truck at the moment of impact. He was outside of his truck and was not injured in the accident.

According to Morrison Police, Harper was driving northbound on Jackson around 6 am, when his 18 wheeler stalled on the tracks while he was at the railroad crossing. The big rig was stuck on the tracks for about 3 or 4 minutes when a Union Pacific train traveling eastbound about 40 to 50 mph crashed into it. The force of the collision pushing the semi truck down the tracks several feet.

Location of semi truck accident with railroad train in the east side of Morrison, IL

As a result of the accident, the semi was a total loss while the train sustained only minor damage.

Police say that Harper was not cited and that they were not sure what company he was driving for. Police are currently investigating the accident and they were still trying to clear the track in the morning hours.

Police also point out that this was not the first time that a truck stalled on this railroad crossing on Jackson St. It is difficult sometimes for large vehicles to cross the tracks because they are on a steep grade, which can cause stalling.

Just recently, a truck with a gooseneck trailer stalled on the tracks. Warning signs at the tracks could help alleviate the problem.

Below is a Google street view of the railroad crossing where the semi truck stalled on the tracks. You can clearly see the steep grade. You can click the mouse button and pan around the scene of the accident to get a feel for the lay of the land.

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If you need information about truck accident law, FELA law or railroad injury law pertaining to the state of Illinois, talk to an Illinois truck accident attorney who is qualified to answer your questions. At TruckAccidents360.com, you can find an Illinois truck accident lawyer who specializes in representing victims involved in tractor trailer, big rig truck injury accidents.

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All local lanes on the inbound Dan Ryan Expressway were closed for approximately two hours this morning after a semi truck jackknifed and spilled fuel on the roadway.

Investigators closed all northbound local lanes for about two hours, state police said. Express lanes were not closed.

All lanes were reopened as of 7 a.m.

State Police reports that no one was injured.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but the weather is blamed for two earlier jackknifed semis on the Dan Ryan near 63rd Street. One inbound and one outbound semi jackknifed about 2:30 a.m., but state police said the crashes do not appear related.

This information was obtained from SUN-TIMES NEWS GROUP report

Truck Accidents 360 is an attorneys directory and news blog where you can find Illinois truck accident attorneys and Chicago truck accident lawyers who specializes in big rig and semi truck truck injury law.