Four Injured in Van Crash in Fayette County

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Published on July 2 2014 12:15 pm
Last Updated on July 2 2014 12:15 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Four people were taken to the hospital after a van crash in Fayette County Wednesday morning.

State police say the crash occurred at 4:30am on I-70 eastbound on the north edge of Vandalia. The van, driven by 67-year-old Eleanor Schmeh of Edmond, Oklahoma, ran off the roadway into a ditch and then struck a guardrail head-on. The driver's side of the van slid along the guardrail, destroying about 60 feet of it. The van then separated from the guardrail came back onto the roadway and overturned onto the driver's side in the left lane. The van then slid on its side across both lanes and onto the right shoulder and struck a concrete bridge rail with the top of the vehicle. The unit then slid on its side along the concrete bridge rail for another 40 feet and came to a stop on the right shoulder of the roadway, overturned on the driver's side.

Eleanor Schmeh had to be extricated from the vehicle by Vandalia firefighters and taken to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia. Schmeh was later flown to St. Louis University Hospital for additional treatment.

Three passengers were taken to the hospital; 34-year-old Jonathan Schmeh of Edmond, Oklahoma to St. Louis University Hospital, and 33-year-old Stephanie Forga and 10-month-old William Forga, both of Edmond, Oklahoma, to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia.

Two other passengers were not taken for treatment. They are also from Edmond, Oklahoma.

The driver, Eleanor Schmeh, was cited for improper lane usage.