State Police have released further details on three related traffic crashes on I-57 south of the Kinmundy exit on Tuesday.
The first crash occurred at 6:50 Tuesday morning when the driver of a semi ran off the roadway and struck a guardrail and bridge support for the Martin Road overpass and overturned. The impact of the crash split open the trailer of the semi, spilling its load of frozen lasagna across the southbound lanes. The driver, whose name has not been released, was taken to Salem Township Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
In the second crash at 11:09 Tuesday morning a rig driven by 41-year-old Kiane Bridgeforth of Memphis, Tennessee failed to slow for traffic in front of him. He first struck the rear of a car driven by 45-year-old Brandon Clifton of Nashua, New Hampshire pushing it off the highway into a fence at the edge of the interstate property. Bridgeforth then struck a truck driven by 64-year-old Terry Patty of Louisville, Tennessee with the impact pushing the Patty truck into another semi driven by 55-year-old Stephen Wickline of Sunman, Indiana.
The cab was ripped to the side of Bridgeforth’s rig after crashing into the rear of the Patty truck and being pulled underneath it. Bridgeforth was extricated by Kinmundy-Alma Firemen and transported from the scene to a St. Louis Hospital. A passenger in Bridgeforth’s truck, 29-year-old Mircale Givson of Tennessee, was also injured. Kinmundy-Alma Firemen also extricated Clifton and a passenger in his car, 18-year-old Shealy Clifton of Nashua, New Hampshire from their car. Clifton was airlifted from the scene to a Springfield, IL hospital. Shealy Clifton was taken to Salem Township Hospital for treatment.
Bridgeforth was ticketed for driving with a suspended or revoked commercial driver’s license as well as failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision.
State Police say the third wreck occurred at the 127-mile marker at the Kinmundy exit at 5:50 Tuesday night. Preliminary information indicates a semi driven by 50-year-old Oleg Rudoy of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida was traveling slowly in the right lane when his rig was hit in the rear by another semi driven by 47-year-old Brandan Hall of Cairo. Hall was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries.
State Police say charges are pending investigation.
