Fatal Crash on Interstate in Fayette County

A traffic tie-up on eastbound I-70 in Fayette County Thursday afternoon led to a fatal crash.

59-year-old David M. Duke of Columbus, Ohio was killed in the crash that occurred at 5:44pm about one mile east of the Brownstown/Bluff City interchange.

State police report that a pickup truck driven by 40-year-old Christopher Morris of Crane, Missouri was stopped on the interstate due to traffic being stopped entering a construction zone. Police say Duke's vehicle was slowing to a stop behind Morris, but a semi driven by 61-year-old Charles Priddy of Canal Fulton, Ohio failed to slow and struck Duke's vehicle from behind, pushing it into Morris' pickup truck.

Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen pronounced Duke dead at the scene at 6:41pm. An autopsy will be conducted at HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham to officially determine the cause of death.

Morris and his passenger, 18-year-old Christopher Morris II of West Virginia, were both injured in the crash and were taken to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia.

Priddy was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash.

Traffic on eastbound I-70 at the scene of the crash was slowed or stopped for several hours Thursday afternoon, including for some time prior to the crash, and traffic was routed off at the Brownstown interchange onto US 40.