Published on June 12, 2026 2:45 pm
Last Updated on June 12, 2026 2:51 pm
A crash on U.S. Highway 40 at 700th Street in Jackson Township occurred at 4:56 p.m. on Thursday, closing Route 40 for a while.
According to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department, Tracy L. Marten of Altamont was traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 40 in the area of 700th Street when she stated that she fell asleep and woke up to the vehicle’s airbags deploying. The drivers of the other vehicles involved, as well as numerous witnesses, saw Marten’s vehicle cross into the eastbound lanes of traffic.
Marten’s van struck a vehicle driven by Jessica Wolfert of Altamont on the mirror of the vehicle, then struck the driver’s side of a jeep driven by Helen Mason of St. Elmo, before finally striking the front driver’s side of a truck driven by Jeffrey Clow of Effingham. Wolfert, Mason, and Clow were all eastbound at the time of the accident.
Passengers involved in the accident; Jared Mason and Betty Clow, were transferred to HSHS St. Anthony Memorial Hospital and checked for injuries. Tracy Marten, of Altamont was cited for improper lane usage.
