WAYNE CO., Ill. - Illinois State Police are attributing a crash on the Interstate in Wayne County as being caused by a "mechanical issue."
And that was quite the mechanical issue: It left the 'dump' part of a dump truck wedged into an overpass, snarling traffic for quite some time, according to ISP's report.
District 19 Carmi handled the wreck which occurred this morning (Wednesday, October 24) at approximately 6:20 a.m.
According to the preliminary traffic crash investigation, the driver of a red 1994 Mack dump truck, Michael E. Willie, 52, of Peoria, was traveling westbound on Interstate 64 in rural Wayne County, with the dump bed in the raised position, when he struck the Wayne County Road 1200E overpass, which is located just east of milepost 103.
Following impact, the dump bed separated from the truck's chassis and remained wedged under the overpass. Illinois' Department of Transportation (IDOT) limited I-64 westbound to one lane of travel at the scene of the crash. An update of travel conditions was not made available. However, Bridge inspectors from IDOT were inspecting the damage to the overpass this morning, and ISP said that until that inspection is completed, the one-lane situation will remain in place, so use caution if you're in the area.
Michael E. Willie was cited for Vehicle Over Height, No Valid Registration, and Overweight on Registration.
ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by an ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer (CVEO), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Wayne City Fire Department, and Rick’s Towing Service.