Details emerge and charges filed in Shiloh crash that killed mother and daughter
When the Shiloh police officers first arrived at the scene of a double-fatal crash in January on Hartman Lane, they didn’t immediately know the chain of events leading up to the three-vehicle crash, according to police reports.
They also had to sift through “conflicting statements” from those involved in the crash, the department said in a news release two days after Carol Isbell, 82, and her 60-year-old daughter, Lana Watson, died.
But details have since been gathered and charges have been filed against two people in connection with the crash on Jan. 27, according to records obtained by the Belleville News-Democrat under an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request filed with the Shiloh Police Department.
On the night of the crash, Shiloh police had called the Metro East Crash Assistance Team to get help with the investigation.
This team, which is a cooperative unit comprised of officers from area police departments, filed a report that concludes with an “opinion” describing what happened. The team used the vehicles’ “event data recorders,” also known as “black boxes,” to get information about the speeds the vehicles were traveling.
Watson, a Shiloh resident who was known for helping unhoused people, was driving a 2017 Nissan Rogue south on Hartman Lane to take her mother home to an assisted living center in Shiloh. It was about 8:39 p.m. and she was on a section of the road that was unlit.
“The driver of the Nissan failed to turn on their headlights or taillights, making the Nissan difficult to see in the dark with light rain in the area,” the Metro East Crash Assistance Team report states.
As the Nissan headed south at an estimated 29 mph after turning onto Hartman Lane from Durham Drive, a 2011 Ford F150 pickup truck also was going south. The truck was going about 64 mph in a 45-mph zone just prior to the collision. The Ford’s front driver’s side bumper hit the rear passenger side bumper of the Nissan, according to the report.
“The off-centered force from the collision between the Ford and the Nissan caused the Nissan to rotate counterclockwise and slide approximately 60.77 feet on the wet road surface,” the report states. “The Nissan slid into the northbound lane, where it entered the path of travel of (a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck), causing the Chevrolet to collide with the passenger side of the Nissan.”
The Silverado was going about 42 mph just prior to the collision, according to investigators.
“The driver of the Chevrolet failed to maneuver to avoid that collision, as they only had approximately 1.03 seconds to observe the Ford vs. Nissan collision, the Nissan move into the Chevrolet’s path, and react to avoid the Nissan,” the report states.
Watson and Isbell were pronounced dead on the scene.
Charged in connection with the crash were:
- Eric T. Benton, 34, of Fairview Heights, was driving the Ford pickup that first collided with the Nissan, police said. He was given three traffic citations on April 23: speeding 15-20 mph above the limit, speed too fast for conditions and failure to reduce speed, according to St. Clair County court records. Benton could not be reached for comment and court records do not list a defense attorney for him.
- Katherine E. Kellow, 32, of Belleville, was driving the Chevrolet pickup that collided with the Nissan, police said. She was charged on April 23 with driving under the influence intoxicating compound, which is a misdemeanor, according to St. Clair County court records.
A Shiloh police officer stated in a report that he could “smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from” Kellow’s breath. Also, police reports show that blood and urine samples were collected from Kellow.
Kellow is represented by Belleville attorney Gregory Skinner, who described the crash as “a tragic accident.”
“My client wasn’t culpable in any way,” Skinner said.
Shiloh Police Chief Rich Wittenauer also said Kellow was not at blame for the crash.
Her blood alcohol level “was very low, but it was tested hours after the incident,” he said. “There was medication in her bloodstream as well and she provided a prescription for that. Either way, you shouldn’t be operating a vehicle on some medications.
“But, yes, it’s fair to say that she is in no way culpable.”
The charges against Benton and Kellow were filed after police were told by the St. Clair State’s Attorney’s Office that felony charges would not be filed.
Benton has a court date of June 20 and Kellow on Oct. 2.
Allison F. Stenger, a St. Louis attorney representing Bob Watson, the husband of Lana Watson and son-in-law of Carol Isbell, declined to comment on the charges filed but released this statement:
“We loved Lana and Carol deeply, and at times the grief has seemed impossible to bear. We have endured because of the love and support of our family and friends in this unimaginably difficult time.”
