One Dead in Semi Truck Crash

Semi truck crash and spill shuts down part of I-80

Illinois State Police said Friday that one person was killed and another injured in a crash near Morris involving three tractor trailers.

The accident occured on eastbound Interstate 80 early Friday morning,  just before the exit for Seneca.

Reports indicate the crash stemmed from a another crash involving three cars that had slowed traffic on the interstate. One of the tractor trailers didn't stop for that crash and "plowed" into traffic ahead of him, sparking a chain reaction, police said.

Reports the Morris Daily Herald:

According to a press release from state police District 17, Charles F. Peterlin, 63, of Evergreen Park, Ill., was driving double trailers at 6:59 a.m. on I-80 eastbound, at mile marker 102, and hit a stopped semi, which caused a chain reaction.

Peterlin hit a second semi driven by Wesley D. Beauchem, 46, of Chana, Ill. Beauchem's truck was pushed into a third truck driven by Lonnie E. Brandel, 45, of Iowa, and Brandel's truck then hit a fourth truck driven by Jagmeet Grewal, 45, of Quebec, Canada.

 Eastbound traffic was diverted to the Marseilles exit.  Westbound traffic was down to one lane.

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