State Police arrested both drivers for driving under the influence early Sunday morning following two single-vehicle crashes on I-57 at milepost 79 in Franklin County. A Mt. Vernon woman was injured in one of the crashes.
Preliminary information indicates the first crash occurred when a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Samuel Heintz of Collinsville ran off the right side of the road and struck a guardrail. The second crash occurred when an SUV driven by 24-year-old Makaila Ballard of Mt. Vernon swerved to avoid the first crash and ran off the left side of the road, striking a guardrail and concrete barrier.
While both drivers reported no injuries, a passenger in the Makaila Ballard SUV, 27-year-old Victoria Ballard of Mt. Vernon, was flown from the scene to a regional hospital for treatment of injuries.
Heintz was ticketed for driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal possession of alcohol by a minor, too fast for conditions, improper lane usage, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
Makaila Ballard was ticketed for driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
The crashes occurred at 1:55 Sunday morning.
