Salem Police say all four occupants of a van that turned over on its side after causing a three-vehicle crash on West Main at Westgate Avenue Thursday night fled the scene and have not been located.
Police reports indicate the van was eastbound on West Main when it struck a vehicle in the rear driven by 23-year-old Kimberly Carter of East Main in Salem. After hitting the car, the van then made a U-turn and ran into a westbound vehicle on West Main driven by 34-year-old Jenna Fox of East Oglesby in Salem. The impact spun Fox’s vehicle around so it was facing eastbound while the van turned over on its side.
Police say the driver of the van jumped out and took off on foot. Police talked to the three passengers through a language barrier and were not able to determine where the driver went or why he left the scene. Meanwhile, while assisting others involved in the crash the three passengers also fled on foot. They had indicated their passports were in the vehicle, but police have not had a chance to process the vehicle.
Reports indicate the two other drivers and a passenger in the Carter vehicle, 25-year-old Jacob Cordle of East Main in Salem, all refused hospital treatment after being checked by United Medical Response.
The Salem Fire Protection District had to cut the windshield out of the van and assist the three passengers out.
The fire and police departments had both been called out a few minutes earlier to a reported crash on West Main at the I-57 interchange possibly involving the same van, but that call turned out to be unfounded. However, on the way, they found the actual crash.
Police had been alerted earlier to a van matching the same description driving recklessly on southbound I-57 ten miles north of Salem.
The crash occurred around seven Thursday night.
