Jalynn Hinton
RICHLAND CO., Ill.—Friends of the young woman who survived a tragic auto crash last night in the Claremont area have reported that she is on life support in an Evansville hospital.
Jalynn Hinton, 19, of Sumner, is the survivor of the accident that occurred yesterday evening (Wednesday, November 26, 2014) at about 7:15 p.m. Killed in the wreck was Caleb Mason, also 19 of Sumner, Hinton’s boyfriend; Mason was behind the wheel when the wreck occurred.
According to Richland County Sheriff’s officials as well as Illinois State Police District 12, Mason, driving a Jeep Cherokee, was westbound on County Road 800N, just east of CR 1800E when he failed to stop at a stop sign at that intersection.
Karl Blake, 56, of Yale, was driving a 1990 Kenworth truck-tractor pulling a semi trailer, northbound on CR 1800E just south of the road the two young people were on, 800N. When he went through that intersection, Mason’s Jeep, failing to stop, struck the passenger side of the truck’s trailer.
ISP stated that the Jeep somehow remained attached to the trailer as Blake’s truck continued to travel northbound, and the Jeep was dragged down the road, overturning twice before coming loose.
Mason was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Hinton was reported by ISP to have received incapacitating injuries; she was transported to Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, but friends are telling us that she was then taken to Deaconess in Evansville, where she remains on life support today. The extent of her injuries, as well as any prognosis, is unknown right now here at Disclosure, but we’re taking in information currently.
ISP reports that neither Mason nor Hinton were wearing their seatbelts; Blake was.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department Captain Mike Bertin advised this morning that ISP was called in, despite the rural location of the collision, because of the fatality involved, and because they have the capacity to do the level of accident reconstruction needed in this kind of collision.
Bertin also advised that there is no indication at this time that neither alcohol, nor any other substance, was a contributing factor in the accident, on the part of either driver.
No citations have been issued.
Caleb Mason