Effingham County, IL -(Effingham Radio)- At 12:17 am on April 11, 2021, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two-vehicle crash on US Rt. 40 just west of the Lake Sara Road in rural Effingham, Illinois. Upon arrival, it was determined one female (Rhodes) was deceased at the scene and one female (Ferguson) was transported to Carle Hospital in Champaign, Illinois. One male (Welter) was taken to HSHS St. Anthony Hospital in Effingham and later transferred to Carle in Champaign, Illinois.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a gray SUV driven by Andrew Welter, age 33 of Effingham, Illinois was westbound on Rt. 40 when he drove into the eastbound lane at a high rate of speed and struck a vehicle which was eastbound on Rt. 40 and driven by Mara Ferguson of Charleston, Illinois. A passenger in the Ferguson vehicle, Alyssa Rhodes, age 29, of Charleston, Illinois was pronounced deceased at the scene by Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8:30 am at the Champaign County Regional Autopsy Facility for Alyssa Rhodes. The Effingham County Coroner’s office, the Illinois State Police and the Effingham County State’s Attorney’s Office are continuing the investigation pending the results of the autopsy, toxicology reports and the ISP Reconstruction Report.
Other agencies on scene to assist were the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department, ISP, Shumway Fire Department, Altamont PD, Abbott EMS, Effingham County Coroner’s Office, ISP ARO Team and IDOT.
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