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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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.

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.