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SALINE CO., Ill.—A driver is dead this morning after a collision with a coal truck in the Pankeyville area of Saline County.
The accident happened on Highway 145/34 between Triple S Road and Butler Road in Harrisburg Township at about 5:30 a.m. this morning, September 6, 2014, in the vicinity of Hathaway’s Feed and Prairie Farms Dairy.
Authorities are withholding the name of the driver of a small silver passenger car, which witnesses say was northbound on the highway when it crossed the center line and drove directly into the path of an RMS Coal truck on 145/34.
Witnesses say the driver of the southbound tractor-trailer veered to the east side of the road in an attempt to avoid the collision, and was able to keep his load upright, but was not able to avoid the head-on impact.
Emergency responders attempted to get to the driver by cutting off the roof of the car to extricate him, but it was to no avail, and the coroner was called.
We’ll have more on this tragic wreck as soon as authorities are done working the scene and get some press material out on it.
Wreck occurred just south of the Prairie Farms marker
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