Woman killed on I-64 near East St. Louis jumped from car, man told state trooper

A man questioned by Illinois State Police told a trooper that the woman declared dead on Interstate 64 early Tuesday jumped from his car.

St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. confirmed MaKenze Coulter, 23, of Table Grove, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:55 a.m. State Police have yet to comment on the nature or cause of the incident, but according to a recording of an emergency radio broadcast, a trooper told dispatchers that the woman may have jumped.

Table Grove is in Fulton County, about 17 miles southeast of Macomb.

“When I initially made contact with subject in custody, (he said) the female jumped out of the top of the car,” the trooper told the dispatcher.

The man he had in custody, the trooper said, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and had a gun in his possession. It’s not clear if the man remains in police custody or if he had a permit to carry the weapon.

On Wednesday, Illinois State Police issued a release stating that Coulter apparently was standing through the sunroof of the 2017 Mercedes Benz C300 and fell out as the car negotiated a turn. The driver was not named, though the release said he is from Bellefountaine, Missouri.

The incident occurred on westbound I-64 at southbound I-55, causing traffic to be diverted to the I-70 split for more than four hours.

In an additional broadcast, a trooper asked the dispatcher to send a second ambulance for a female at the scene who was suffering a seizure. It’s not clear if the female was Coulter or a second victim or if the incidents were related.

Dye, though he confirmed Coulter’s identity, referred additional questions about the incident to state police.

This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 5:42 PM.