Details on Three-Vehicle Crash on Teutopolis Frontage Road

Details were released Friday on a three-vehicle crash on the Teutopolis frontage road.

Effingham County Sheriff's Department said the crash happened at 3:41pm Thursday at 1600th Street. 

Deputies report the vehicles involved were driven by 53-year-old Douglas Hartke of Teutopolis, 66-year-old Kim Rhodes of Effingham, and 23-year-old Tanner Croy of Pottsville, Arkansas. Rhodes, who serves as Effingham County Coroner, but was not on duty, was slowing to turn off the frontage road onto 1600th Street. Croy was sitting stationary on 1600th Street preparing to turn onto the frontage road, but realized he had pulled too far into the left lane of travel and began backing up to get out of Rhodes' way. At the same time, Hartke was traveling eastbound on the frontage road behind Rhodes and struck the Rhodes' vehicle. The impact pushed Rhodes' vehicle into the Croy vehicle.

Rhodes was injured and was taken to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham where she was treated, then released.

Both of the other drivers was cited; Hartke for failure to reduce to speed to avoid the crash, and Croy for driving while his license is suspended.