Two Crashes w/Injuries in Effingham Over the Weekend

Two crashes involving injuries occurred in Effingham over the weekend.

A car and motorcycle collided west of the intersection of Fayette and Henrietta at 8:45 Friday night. A car driven by 30-year-old Roberta Ballinger of Altamont collided with a cycle ridden by 27-year-old Nathan Morton of Effingham.

Morton was injured, but refused treatment. Ballinger was cited for failure to yield and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

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A Mattoon man was injured in a motorcycle crash at 3:14pm Saturday at the intersection of Raney and Avenue of Mid America.

City police say 31-year-old Alejandro Grijalva lost control and laid the motorcycle over.

Grijalva was taken by ambulance to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham. Grijalva was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and operating with an expired registration.

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Effingham police and fire departments were called to Petro Stopping Center on North Route 45 at 9:40am Sunday. Authorities say a vehicle left a fuel pump while the fuel nozzle was still in the gas tank. 

Substances were utilized the soak up the spilled fuel. A Pilot employee asked today if things are back to normal said, "We are pumping fuel."

That incident followed a report at 1:30am Saturday that an unknown vehicle struck and damaged a fuel pump at Pilot. No injuries were reported and no citations have been issued from that incident.

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Police also received another report of someone stealing from a cemetery. 

Theft of an ornament valued at $50 occurred from a gravestone in Oakridge Cemetery between 3pm Monday and 4:30p Friday.