One Killed, Three Injured in Six-Vehicle Crash Near Vandalia

One person was killed and three others were injured in a six-vehicle collision near Vandalia that closed westbound Interstate 70 for several hours Wednesday.

State police released details on the crash late Thursday morning. The roadway was closed until close to midnight Wednesday night for investigation of the crash, which occurred at 2:20pm.

A semi driver, 42-year-old Robert A. Todoran of Hammond, Louisiana, was killed in the crash. Interstate 70 goes from four-lane traffic to two lanes just east of Vandalia to accommodate reconstruction of the westbound bridge. Police say traffic was stopped due to the construction project. Todoran's semi failed to reduce speed and struck a stopped car driven by 27-year-old Jon Wingo of Springfield, causing a chain-reaction crash. Todoran's semi left the roadway after the collision and traveled down an embankment, where the trailer of the semi became engulfed in flames. Todoran, who was trapped in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene by Fayette County Coroner David Hejl. 

Wingo was injured, as were his two passengers, a 14-year-old girl and 51-year-old Rachael Wingo, both of Brownstown. All three were taken to Fayette County Hospital in Vandalia.

In addition to Todoran's semi and Wingo's car, four other semis were involved in the chain-reaction crash. Those were driven by 45-year-old Carlos Perez of Bronx, New York; 50-year-old Benjamin B. Booker of Eden, Ontario, Canada; 50-year-old Peter O. Lingenfelter of Newcastle, Pennsylvania; and 45-year-old Kenneth C. Woodhouse of Cedar Key, Florida. None of those four semi drivers was injured.

The crash remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police Traffic Reconstruction Unit, the Illinois State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Section, the Fayette County Coroner's Office, and District 12 Illinois State Police.