Three Illinois Crashes on Interstate 72 near Champaign

At least five people were injured in three separate motor vehicle crashes involving six vehicles over the weekend on Interstate 72 near Champaign, Illinois.

First Crash:

Illinois State Patrol Master Sgt. Kane said the initial crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. when a 22 year-old Edwardsville driver was westbound, went through the median and hit an eastbound car driven by a 19 year-old Rantoul man.

According to the trooper, the 22 year old driver said he just wasn’t paying attention. “He wasn’t on the phone or texting. He didn’t have a medical episode. Obviously, he wasn’t paying attention to the road, ” said Kane who also added there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs being a factor.

Both vehicles were heavily damaged and the crash completely blocked the eastbound lane of Interstate 72. Both men were listed in fair condition over the weekend.

Second Crash:

Moments later, there was a second crash about a half-mile to the west of the first crash. A car was slowing for the first crash when it was struck from behind. A Champaign police officer worked that crash, but Sgt. Kane believed the occupants of those two vehicles were not seriously injured.

Third Crash:

As officers were working the first two crashes, a third occurred at 1:16 p.m. a little further west of the first crash but also in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 72.

A 63 year-old Monticello driver of a Prius was slowing for the first two crashes when her car was struck from behind by a faster moving GMC Sierra pick-up truck driven by a 24 year old Monticello man. The force of that crash sent both vehicles off the road and into a culvert. The driver of the Prius and her 67 year-old passenger were trapped in their car and had to be cut out. Both were seriously injured and listed in fair condition over the weekend. The 24 year-old driver received minor injuries and refused medical treatment. He was issued a ticket for failure to reduce speed.

Inattentiveness:

As we frequently blog, inattentiveness or failure to pay attention is the leading cause of motor vehicle crashes. According to reports, lack of attention is what initiated the first crash and failure to slow down and pay close attention probably caused or contributed to cause of the later two crashes.

These are tragic crashes because they are generally avoidable. Anytime a crash occurs on a busy interstate, law enforcement and first responders are concerned about chain reaction crashes. When traffic backs up, some drivers fail to see brake lights or fail to reduce speed resulting in car crashes. We see this happen occasionally on other busy interstates such as Interstate 70, Interstate 55 and Interstate 64/40 through Illinois and Missouri.

If You’ve Been Injured in a Motor Vehicle Crash…

Obviously, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you are taken by ambulance, you may or may not be able to exchange insurance information with the other driver–likewise, if they are seriously injured. However, the officers that worked the crash will work to get all of that information at the scene or in follow up at the hospital. If you know who the reporting agency is, you can follow up later for an incident report.

If you were injured in a motor vehicle crash, you are more than likely going to need an experienced motor vehicle crash attorney to assist you. We get the incident reports for our clients, file the necessary information regarding insurance and essentially take care of all details so that you can focus on getting better physically and returning your life to normal.

If you’ve been in a crash, you have questions. Our attorneys answer questions seven days a week and we are more than happy to give free, confidential consultations over the phone.

Call us (314) 276-1681