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.

WATCH VIDEO

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.

Related searches:

Normal 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer
Normal Truck Accident Lawyer
Champaign 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer

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.

WATCH VIDEO

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.

Related searches:

Naperville Truck Accident Lawyer
Champaign 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer
Normal 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer

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.

MAP

View Larger Map

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.

WATCH VIDEO

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.

WATCH VIDEO

.

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.

MAP

View Larger Map

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.

Related searches:
Illinois truck accident attorneys
Chicago truck accident lawyers

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.

View Larger Map

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.

Related searches
Illinois FELA Lawyer
FELA Lawyer

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.