BUSHNELL, IL- The pjstar.com writes that a man from Bushnell died and four others were hurt in a crash involving two vehicles. The incident took place on Tuesday, January 22, 2019,in McDonough County.*
The victim was identified as 86-year-old Ray Etter, who died at the scene of the crash. Etter was declared dead at the crash site. The collision took place on Illinois Route 41 close to Bushnell.
Etter was traveling in a 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The vehicle in which Etter was a passenger struck a 2003 Ford Econoline van.
The man driving the van, 65-year-old Steven Palmer of Bardolph, was taken to the OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center via helicopter. As of Wednesday, Palmer was reportedly in fair condition.
The driver of the pickup truck, 74-year-old Dallas Campbell of Bushnell, reportedly lost control of his vehicle on the icy roadway and slid over thecenter line and into oncoming traffic. Neither Etter nor Campbell was using a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Both were ejected from the pickup truck.
Campbell was taken to the McDonough District Hospital along with two passengers from the van, 32-year-old Steven Krull, and 37-year-old Christopher Laktas. Campbell, Krull, andLaktas were all seriously injured in the crash. The hospital has not released information regarding any of the men’s conditions.
Campbell received a ticket for failing to reduce his speed, for improper lane usage and for failure to wear a seatbelt.
The crash shut down Route 41 for around two hours.
Vehicle ejections lead to fatal injuries about 75 percent of the time. The best way to avoid being thrown from avehicle in a crash is to use a seatbelt.
