Three from Granite City killed in separate crashes are identified

Three people from Granite City were killed in two separate highway crashes near Pontoon Beach, according to St. Louis news sources.

According to Fox2, the first crash occurred on Illinois 111 , just south of the Interstate 270 interchange at about 8:50 p.m. Saturday.

The television station cited Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic in reporting that a pedestrian was pushing a bicycle westbound across the highway when he was struck by a southbound GMC van. Barry McGrew, 69, was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, Fox 2 reported.

The second crash also occurred on Illinois 111 and Timberlake Drive about an hour later.

Modrusic told KMOV-4 that Cole and Morgan Whitford, both 29, were riding a Harley Davidson southbound when the motorcycle struck the front driver’s side of a Chrysler Pacifica van as it made a left-hand turn north from Timberlake.

The couple was ejected from the motorcycle and rushed to a local hospital, where they both died , the television station reported.