A state trooper was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer truck on Monday morning during a normal traffic stop alongside Interstate 55 near Litchfield.

On the morning of November 26^th, motorcycle unit Illinois State trooper Kyle Deatherage had stopped a motorist in the northbound lanes of I-55 near mile marker 62. Just before 9:00 a.m. as Deatherage was speaking to the motorist, a passing truck hit the officer.  The 32-year-old trooper was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The Interstate was closed between exits 60 and 63 for several hours while accident reconstruction officers investigated the accident. The truck driver who hit Deatherage did not immediately stop after the accident. It is not known if the driver was cited or if there were any other injuries from the accident at this time.

Workplace accidents vary in the level of injuries, some cause life-long complications while others are life ending. If you or a loved one knows someone who is recovering from a workplace accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your rights under the Workman’s Compensation Act. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A crash involving a jack-knifed semi-trailer on I-80 has killed a North Carolina man. The accident took place near County Road 27 near Morris, Illinois.

On Thursday, September 20^th, Norman Hargus was driving a 2009 red Freightliner box truck in the west bound lanes of I-80. At approximately 2:09 p.m., Hargus hit the back of a silver Kia Soul. Hargus’ truck then jack-knifed and struck the back of a blue Freightliner box truck.

The 41-year-old Hargus, of Lenior, N.C, died at the scene of the accident. No other injuries were reported by police. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

An accident involving motor vehicles can happen at a moment’s notice. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in an accident with a semi-trailer, call Spiros Law, P.C., at 815-929-9292 to discuss enlisting a professional legal representative who may be able to help you. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The ramp from the Bishop Ford freeway to Stoney Island Avenue was blocked on the morning of Wednesday, August 1st after a semi crashed and spilled the contents of two containers at a main street in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago.

Just before 10 a.m., South Chicago District officers were assigned to the ramp at 9600 block of South Stoney Island when a semi tractor truck driver crashed into a viaduct as he was turning onto the ramp from the Bishop Ford Expressway.

The Fire Department hazardous materials crews came to the scene around 11 a.m. to begin clean up operations. One person was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. State police conducted an investigation. The ramp was re-opened again in mid-afternoon.

Accidents with semi-tractor trucks have the added danger of the contents in their compartments. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in an accident involving a semi tractor truck, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com

One driver’s medical condition lead to a rollover accident by a tractor trailer on Interstate 80 on Wednesday morning.

Craig Horner was driving in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 near Ottawa, Illinois on July 25^th when he went into diabetic shock. At 5:53 a.m., Horner’s car went into the same lane as a tractor trailer truck driven by Abraham Montanez. Swerving to avoid Horner, Montanez’s truck went into the center median and flipped over.

La Salle County Sheriff’s Office reported that Horner was taken to OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa. He was treated and released. Montanez was offered medical attention at the scene of the accident but declined it. No tickets were issued in regards to the accident.

Accidents can happen in a moment, causing damage to people and vehicles. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in a car/semi-truck accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A car accident on Saturday morning resulted in the death of 19 year old Kelly Jasinski. The victim was turning onto Illinois Route 113 from a driveway near 4000W Road when she was hit by a semitruck headed westbound on 113. The accident occurred just outside of Limestome Township.

After the accident, Jasinski was taken to Riverside Medical Center. She was pronounced dead in the emergency room at 10:06am Saturday, June 14th and an autopsy was scheduled for the following Monday. The cause of death was ruled chest and head trauma, but the autopsy may reveal more information about the accident.

The thoughts and prayers of the legal team at Spiros Law, P.C. go out to the victim’s family during this time.

A South Kendall County intersection on Monday afternoon was the scene of a crash between a car and a semi-tractor trailer that killed three teenagers.

The initial investigation by State Police shows that the driver of the car, Brian Herrera, 19, was at the stop sign heading south on Schlapp Road when he pulled out onto Route 126.  A semi truck was heading east on Route 126 and was unable to avoid the car. The truck crashed into the car before rolling on its side.

Plainfield residents Herrera and Tyler Montgomery, 19, were pronounced dead at the site of the accident. A second passenger, Alexis Banuelos, 19, of Naperville, was taken to an area hospital and died there. The 45-year-old driver of the truck, Scott Fernatt, of Hodgkins, was taken to Rush-Copely Medical Center in Aurora with non-life threatening injuries.

Traffic was re-routed from that stretch of Route 126 as police investigated the accident and cleared the wreckage. The truck was hauling sandbags which made clean-up difficult.

An automobile accident doesn’t affect just the driver of a car, passengers can be injured or killed as well. If you or a loved one has lost a family member in a motor vehicle accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for expert legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A house in Calumet City was damaged when a semi-truck crashed into it, leaving the driver dead and three other people injured.

It was just before midnight on May 23^rd when Joseph Foster, of Talmo, Ga, was driving on Michigan City Road. His truck began to drift into the opposite lane towards Tyler Weightman, 18 and his sister who were coming home from a youth group event at their church.

Weightman tried to avoid the truck but was sent spinning.  The semi-truck then veered into a house near the intersection of Torrence Avenue and Michigan City Road. Once the truck stopped, it fell over onto the Weightmans’ car.

Homeowner Don Harkton came out of his house thinking it had been hit by a van. Police and firefighters arrived soon after and rescued Foster’s 8-year-old daughter from the truck. Weightman and his sister were able to crawl out of their car. The 37-year-old truck driver died at the scene. No one in the house was injured although the Weightman siblings and the 9-year-old girl had minor injuries.

Accidents are not predictable and can change the shape of a family. If you or a loved one has lost a family member in an accident with a semi-truck, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A crash on Wilmington-Peotone Road between a semi-truck and a motorcycle resulted in the death of a Peotone man.

On May 15, 2012, John Miaczynski was driving his 2000 Ducati motorcycle eastbound on Wilmington-Peotone Road near the I-57 interchange. Truck driver Willie Lipsey, of Indianapolis,  was coming off of southbound I-57 and turning westward but failed to yield as he began to turn. Miaczynski’s bike was unable to avoid the vehicle and hit the passenger side of the truck.

Miaczynski, 52, was taken to Provena St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee and was pronounced dead there at 7:24 a.m. Lipsey, 56, refused medical treatment and was not injured. Lipsey has been charged for failure to yield at an intersection at this time.

Negligence on the part of a driver can lead to changes in the make-up of a family. If you or a loved one knows someone who has an injured or lost a family member due to an accident with a semi-truck, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

On Friday, May 4^th, a young man collided with a semi truck while riding his motorcycle.

John Waksmundzki, of Justice, was driving his motorcycle on Friday afternoon down Joliet Road in Woodridge when the 19-year-old man collided with a semi-truck. The accident took place at Joliet Road and 107^th Street. It was not raining at the time of the accident, nor was anyone else hurt.

Waksmundzki was pronounced dead at the scene around 3:27 p.m. The Will County coroner’s office performed an autopsy on Saturday and it was determined that the Justice resident died from multiple injuries caused by the crash. The crash remains under investigation as it has not been determined how the crash occurred at this time.

If you or a loved one has lost someone in a two-vehicle accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A semi truck hit a man who had been working on a disable car on Interstate 55 near Plainfield. The man later died at the hospital.

On May 2, Gregory Noe, of Joliet, was working on his car which was disabled and on the side of I-55 near mile marker 256 near the Route 30 exit. The 40-year-old man was standing in the south bound lane outside of his vehicle when the semi-tractor trailer truck hit Noe.

Noe was taken to Provena St. Joseph Medical Center by the Plainfield Fire Department and died from his injuries there. The driver of the truck was not injured nor had any citations been issued regarding the accident.

If you or a loved one has lost someone in an accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to  explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.