Illinois quick hits: Young driver admits fault in fatal semi-crash; tax dollars for grocery stores announced

Young driver admits fault in fatal semi-crash

A federal report on a tanker truck crash a year ago in central Illinois that spilled a toxic chemical and killed five people includes an interview with a 17-year-old Ohio girl who concedes that she cut off the truck when she passed it with the minivan she was driving. About 500 people were evacuated for hours after the accident to spare them exposure to the hazardous plume from the chemical used by farmers to add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil and in large buildings as a refrigerant. The girl reportedly told Illinois State Police during an interview “Yep, totally my bad.”

Tax dollars for grocery stores announced

Illinois announced the first recipients of grant funding Thursday under a new state program intended to bring grocery stores to food deserts. The state announced a total of $7.9 million of taxpayer funds in grants slated to go toward new stores in areas that lack access to fresh groceries and to existing stores that applied for funding for equipment upgrades. The $20 million Illinois Grocery Initiative, which was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last year, was intended to help address food access issues in rural and urban areas.

Snake found in new car

An Illinois woman got a slithery surprise with her newly purchased vehicle. A Geneva woman frantically called a wildlife control business saying a large snake had slithered into her Toyota sedan and refused to come out. Brad Lundsteen, who said he usually deals with squirrels and mice, said it was obvious the python was in the vehicle for some time. Ball pythons are not native to Illinois and are usually only found in their native habitat of Africa.