Third Fatal Crash Wednesday West of Altamont

A third fatal crash in the area Wednesday occurred on Eastbound I-70 just west of Altamont.

The Effingham County Coroner's Office reports a small SUV driven by an out-of-state individual struck the rear of a semi. The semi had slowed for backed-up traffic.

The driver of the SUV, 19-year-old Gerardo Naverette of El Paso, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene by Rick Manford and Karen Hoene of the Coroner's Office. The driver of the semi, 46-year-old Cecil Dodd of Harriman, Tennessee, was not injured.

Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes reports that while the three fatal crashes Wednesday were being investigated by her staff, the Coroner's Office was called on four other deaths (not traffic crash related) during the same time frame. Those were handled by Rhodes.

The Coroner's Office expressed thanks for the assistance offered at the crash scenes by the Illinois State Police, Effingham County Sheriff's Department, Effingham Fire Department, Altamont Fire Department, Shumway Fire Protection District, Altamont Police Department, St. Elmo Police Department, Abbott EMS and IDOT.