Published on July 28, 2025 3:33 pm
Last Updated on July 28, 2025 3:33 pm
Details were released Monday on a two-vehicle crash last Wednesday that injured both drivers.
The crash happened just after 6pm on US Route 45, just south of 800th Avenue in Watson Township.
Vehicles involved were driven by 79-year-old Merle Smith of Watson and 49-year-old Dana Chasteen of Effingham. Effingham County Sheriff’s Office reports that Chasteen was northbound on Route 45 and slowed to turn into a private drive. Smith struck Chasteen’s vehicle from behind and pushed it into a ditch.
Both Smith and Chasteen were transported by Rural Med EMS t0 HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham.
Smith was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash.
