Metro-east man identified as driver in fatal truck crash
Brian Westerfield, the truck driver who died in a crash on Interstate 270 on Wednesday in Glen Carbon, was remembered for his love of his wife, his friendly manner when he made deliveries and for always keeping his truck clean.
Westerfield, 47, of Freeburg was hauling about 20,000 pounds of sand in a tractor-trailer when his westbound truck “abruptly jerked hard to the left” at mile marker 10, crossed the median and the eastbound lanes, crashed into a tree and caught on fire, Illinois State Police Trooper Calvin Dye Jr. said. Dye said the cause of the crash was still under investigation, but police said Westerfield had possibly suffered a medical emergency.
Dye said there appeared to be “no effort from the driver to try to stop” the truck from crashing. Westerfield was pronounced dead at the scene by 10 a.m.
Westerfield had driven for Mascoutah-based Jung Transport LLC for seven years.
“He was an awesome guy,” said Cathy Jung, whose husband and brother-in-law own the trucking company. She said Westerfield loved his wife, Dawn Westerfield, and was “a great leader.”
“Sometimes he hauled feed for some of the local hog farmers,” Jung said. “He didn’t just drop a load and go. He talked to them. He made friends with them. He made an impact wherever he went.”
Company owners Bruce Jung and Jon Jung said in a statement that Wednesday was a “hard day” for the trucking firm employees.
“Brian was a very proud and professional truck driver. He was the most honest and hard working guy, who was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. He will be greatly missed,” the owners said.
Sometimes he hauled feed for some of the local hog farmers. He didn’t just drop a load and go. He talked to them. He made friends with them. He made an impact wherever he went.
Cathy Jung
And Tim Henderson, the safety director for Jung Truck Service, echoed the comments of his colleagues and also fondly recalled how Westerfield “always had the cleanest truck in the fleet.”
Henderson said Westerfield had picked up the sand from a quarry in Keyesport and was headed to a concrete plant in Collinsville at the time of the crash.
As traffic backed up on eastbound I-270 after Westerfield’s crash, another crash occurred Wednesday morning near the fatal crash scene, Dye said.
Dye said two cars that were stopped due to the truck crash and a third car plowed into them at highway speed and had not braked before the collision.
One motorist suffered broken bones and was taken to Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Dye said.
Dye said troopers often have to deal with ensuing crashes near major accident scenes.
“It gets very chaotic,” Dye said. “We have that happen a lot.”
Dye said motorists often do not pay attention to the traffic in front of them because they are trying to look at what happened in the original crash. Other “impatient” drivers will often drive the wrong way on the shoulder, he said.
Illinois Department of Transportation crews responded to check the Meridian Road overpass next to where the tractor-trailer caught on fire, Dye said.
Maryville and Glen Carbon fire departments also responded to the fatal crash as well as the Madison County Coroner’s Office.
This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Metro-east man identified as driver in fatal truck crash."