ISP: One person dead after head-on collision Wednesday on I-74

MORTON, Ill (WMBD) — One person died Wednesday after a pickup truck collided with a semi near the Morton exit on Interstate 74.

According to the Illinois State Police, the crash happened at around 9:50 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near the Main Street exit in Morton. A person who was driving a pickup truck collided head-on with a semi, causing massive fire, the state police said.

The pickup truck driver was pronounced dead at 11:23 p.m. at the scene by Tazewell County Coroner Chuck Hanley. The coroner said his name was being withheld at this time pending notification to their family.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning and further information will be released following the autopsy, Hanley said.

The semi’s driver was taken to an area hospital with injuries.

It was not immediately clear why the pickup was headed the wrong way on the interstate.

The road was shut down until 6 a.m. the state police said.

This case is under investigation by the state police and the coroner’s office.

Assisting at the scene were the Morton Fire Department, Morton Police Department, Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, East Peoria Fire Department, and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

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