Six Injured When Two Semis Collide

Six people were injured when two semis collided on the interstate at Effingham Monday night.

The crash happened at 10:48pm about a mile south of the Fayette Avenue interchange on I-57 Southbound. State police say a semi driven by 33-year-old Christopher Elliott of Houston, Texas, failed to slow and rear-ended a rig driven by 59-year-old Ramon Lopez of Loredo, Texas.

Both drivers were hurt, as were three passengers in Elliott's rig and one passenger in Lopez's semi. All were from either Houston or Loredo. All six were taken to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

Elliott was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash. The right two lanes of southbound I-57 were closed for more than an hour.