The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police
Effingham, Ill – On October 28th at approximately 9:39 p.m. according to the Illinois State Police, a 17-year-old minor was driving a Purple 2004 Dodge Durango SUV with 3 passengers southward on north 500th Street about a quarter mile north of East 300th Avenue in Jasper County.
The vehicle was also carrying 3 passengers, 19-year-old Jordan W. Kollman, a 16-year-old minor, and a 15-year-old minor.
While driving, the vehicle drove onto the west shoulder of the roadway into a ditch on the west side of the roadway.
The driver attempted to regain control of the vehicle but overcorrected and skid sideways to re-enter the roadway.
The driver struck the ditch on the east side of the roadway before colliding with a nearby tree, which uprooted upon collision.
At the time of the collision, the vehicle overturned and came to rest on its passenger side, sitting on the truck of the uprooted tree.
After the accident, the driver was transported by helicopter to Carle Hospital in Champaign, Il.
The passengers of the vehicle were all transported to HSHS St. Anthony Hospital in Effingham by Ambulance.
The driver in question was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, driving too fast for conditions, and failure to wear a seat belt.
The two minor passengers were cited for not wearing a seat belt as well.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law