Details Released on Tuesday Morning Crashes South of Kinmundy

More details have been released by Illinois State Police on the second of two crashes that occurred Tuesday on I-57 southbound south of Kinmundy. Four vehicles were involved, including three semis. 

The first crash occurred at 6:50am when a semi ran off the roadway and struck a guardrail and bridge support, then overturned. The driver was taken for treatment of non life threatening injuries. The rig's load of frozen lasagna was spilled when the rig overturned. Firefighters had to provide the driver with a ladder to get out of his rig.

In the second crash, which occurred at 11:09am, all four units were traveling southbound. A car driven by 45-year-old Brandon Clifton of Nashua, New Hampshire, and two semis behind him driven by 64-year-old Terry Patty of Louisville, Tennessee and 55-year-old Stephen Wickline of Sunman, Indiana, were all slowing for the previous crash that had occurred about a mile to the south. A rig driven by 41-year-old Kiane Bridgeforth of Memphis, Tennessee, failed. Bridgeforth's semi struck the car in the rear and the car was pushed off the roadway into the ditch. Bridgeforth's rig then struck and pushed the trailer of Patty's semi off the roadway to the right. Bridgeforth's rig then traveled under the trailer of Patty's rig, ripping the cab off of the frame and trapping Bridgeforth inside. That impact pushed Patty's rig forward into the trailer of Wickline's semi.

State police report that Bridgeforth and Clifton were airlifted from the scene and taken for treatment. Patty and Wickline were uninjured. A passenger in Bridgeforth's rig, 29-year-old Mircale Givson of Tennessee, was also taken for treatment. A passenger in Clifton's car, 18-year-old Shealy Clifton of Nashua, New Hampshire, was also taken for treatment.

Bridgeforth was cited for driving with a suspended or revoked commercial driver's license, as well as failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash.