Coroner IDs person killed in three-vehicle crash in rural St. Clair County
%20(1).jpg "One person died in a crash in St. Clair County on Thursday.")
A Millstadt area woman was killed in a multi-vehicle traffic crash Thursday morning in the area of Floraville Road at Loehr Road in rural St. Clair County south of Paderborn, authorities said.
Virginia Mueth, 71, of Portland Street near Millstadt died in the crash, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Bruce W. Fleshren said deputies were dispatched at 5:49 a.m. to investigate a crash with injuries.
Deputies found three vehicles off the roadway. “One person was trapped in a Hyundai Elantra, one person was found deceased in a Ford Escape and the third person involved was driving another Ford Escape,” Fleshren said in a news release.
“It was determined that the first two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision and at least one of the vehicles was still in the roadway after the first crash. Shortly after, the second Ford Escape drove into and struck the first crash scene and all of the vehicles were found off of the roadway,” Fleshren said.
The driver who died was in the Ford Escape involved in the first crash, “ but it is not known at this time which crash actually caused the fatality,” Fleshren said.
Mueth was pronounced deceased at the scene at 6:54 a.m., Dye said.
The driver of the Hyundai Elantra was taken to Belleville Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the second Ford Escape was treated at the scene.
No driver information is being released at this time because the police investigation is still active and family notifications have not been made, Fleshren said.
The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting in the investigation.
The sheriff’s department also received assistance from the Hecker Fire Department, Smithton Fire Department, Millstadt Emergency Management Services and Monroe County Emergency Management Services.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 10:33 AM.
