2 teen girls are killed when their UTV collides with a grain hauler in south-central Illinois

By Bruce Kropp Jul 11, 2024 | 2:28 PM

State expressway shootings have fallen from 2021 peak If trends continue, 2024 is on track to have the fewest number of shootings since 2019. Among highway shootings in the past 5 ½ years, 6.8 percent involved a death and 39 percent involved an injury. Death and injuryDeathInjuryNeither 100 200 300 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2520033 8356152 168114919 1117431 853473 26880 5114731018912942 Three shootings in 2019 and two shootings in 2020 are excluded from the bars on this graph due to incomplete data. Chart: Andrew Adams, Capitol News IllinoisSource: Illinois State PoliceGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper

SHELBY COUNTY, Ill. (AP) — Two teen girls were killed and another is fighting for her life when their utility terrain vehicle crashed into a grain hauler in south-central Illinois.

The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday near Strasburg in Shelby County, WCIA-TV reported. Police say that preliminary information shows a UTV with three 14-year-old girls riding in it failed to stop at a stop sign and crashed into the grain hauler.

One of the girls died at the scene. Another was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The third was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis with what the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office called life-threatening injuries. The driver of the grain hauler wasn’t hurt.

Justin Deters, superintendent of Stewardson-Strasburg Schools, posted a statement on the school district’s Facebook page Thursday morning saying the three girls were incoming freshmen this fall. The district planned to make counselors available for anyone who needs them Thursday afternoon and hold a prayer vigil Thursday evening.

“In our Stew-Stras family, our students are like our own kids,” Deters said. “These students have impacted many lives inside these walls, and even more on the outside. We are committed to doing everything we can to help our students and community.”