Woman, girl dead in crash near East St. Louis, police say

A T-bone accident killed a woman and a 12-year-old girl Friday afternoon at St. Clair Avenue and North 79th Street in East St. Louis.

According to Calvin Dye Jr., public information officer with Illinois State Police District 11, Tamika Thornton, 32, of East St. Louis, and her 12-year-old daughter were pronounced dead at Saint Louis University Hospital shortly after the 2:30 p.m. crash.

A man driving a red Chevrolet Impala is in critical condition but expected to survive, Dye said.

The driver of the Impala was westbound on St. Clair Avenue at 79th Street at a high rate of speed, according to several witnesses, Dye said. “The victims’ vehicle was a Chevy Suburban with a green light attempting to turn north on 79th Street from St. Clair Avenue when the drive of the Impala struck the Chevrolet,” Dye said.

A witness, Teddy Donaby, of East St. Louis, said he was driving west on St. Clair Avenue when the accident occurred.

“I froze up. I knew he was going to hit the car because I saw it out the side view of my mirror,” he said. “And he just barreled through, and next thing I know the truck and everything was rolling over.”

He said the Impala did not appear to brake at all before the collision.

“(I came over) to see if everything was alright,” Donaby said. “When I got over here, both women were outside the vehicle.”

Police were investigating whether drugs or alcohol were factors.

Westbound and eastbound traffic on St. Clair Avenue was delayed as crews responded to the accident.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Woman, girl dead in crash near East St. Louis, police say."