Edwardsville man dies after hitting tree, overturning car, police say

A 19-year-old Edwardsville man died Sunday morning after driving off the highway and hitting a tree, causing his car to flip over, police say.

Around 7:17 a.m., a passing motorist saw the overturned vehicle on the side of Illinois Route 143 in Edwardsville and called the police, Lt. Charles Kohlberg said. The driver, Shane Ellinger, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kolhberg said it appears Ellinger was driving eastbound on Highway 143 in the 7400 block of Marine Road when his vehicle crossed the left lane of traffic, went off the roadway, hit a tree and flipped over.

Kolhberg said they do not know when exactly the accident occurred, but a nearby resident heard a loud noise about half an hour before the overturned car, a 1997 Dodge Minivan, was found.

Ellinger was the only occupant of the vehicle.

The Edwardsville Police Department and Madison County coroner’s office are investigating the fatal crash.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Edwardsville man dies after hitting tree, overturning car, police say."