Six Injured in Crash South of Effingham

Six people were injured in a car crash south of Effingham Sunday afternoon.

State police say a vehicle driven by 45-year-old Violet Gordon of Altamont had been parked on the shoulder of northbound I-57, three miles south of Effingham, while a flat tire was changed.  Gordon merged back onto the interstate and was struck by a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Jennifer Tipton of Galatia.

Both drivers were injured, as were four passengers in the Gordon vehicle; 26-year-old April Jewell, 15-year-old Shelby Gordon, six-year-old Cavin McWhorter and seven-year-old Zoee McWhorter, all of Altamont.  All six of those injured were taken to St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham for treatment.

Both drivers were ticketed; Tipton for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash and Gordon for failure to yield when merging.

Watson firefighters, Effingham County sheriff's deputies and Effingham City-County Ambulance Service assisted state police at the scene.  The crash happened at 4:20pm.  One lane of northbound I-57 at the scene was closed for about 25 minutes.