Intoxication, speeding and distracted driving contribute significantly to motor vehicle injuries and fatalities in Illinois according to anecdotes from state police and local law enforcement and firefighters. Distractions include cell phones, radios and food. One trooper reported that a driver eating fast food rear-ended his patrol car. Distractions also lead to serious accidents, and authorities have noticed an increase in crashes on Highway 158, where five people have died in four months on the road between Belleville and Columbia.
1 injured in 2-vehicle crash
On Jan. 2, it was reported by the Illinois State Police that one person suffered minor injuries in a car accident. The crash occurred on Illinois 148 near the Grassy Road intersection in Williamson County.
