by Steve Dunford

There was thunderstorm wind damage across the Southern Seven Counties from last night’s line of thunderstorms in advance of an approaching cold front.

In the second round of precipitation, the Sesser area was hit the hardest with 2-3 inches of rain.  There were places along State Route 148 that water was over the roadway.

Enjoy the cooler but cloudy fall like weather today.  There will be a slight warming trend, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms over the weekend.

Seven Day Forecast

Today
Cloudy, with a high near 62. West wind around 10 mph.
Tonight
Cloudy, with a low around 53. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday
Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 71. Light and variable wind.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Light south southeast wind.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming south southeast 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 59. South southeast wind 3 to 5 mph.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 64. South wind around 8 mph.
Sunday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. South southwest wind 9 to 11 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 68. North northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the morning.

Here is something to take notice of. District 11 out of Collinsville is helping DuQuoin out. (ISP photo)

NOTE:  One of the hardest thing for me to report is a tragedy, especially when someone loses their life.  I reported of a wreck on 57 nearly every day over the summer.

There have been three times that I nearly have been ran over since I lost my license.  Each time it involved a cell phone.  The cars got close enough to me to tell what they were doing with their phone.  One was on Facebook.  One was sending a text.  One was taking a selfie.

ISP took several pictures of radar guns during this stretch over the summer that was triple digits.  It is not the Autobahn.   Yes I admit that when the speed limit was raised to 70, I set my cruise at 75.  When I get my license back, and I lost them for medical reasons, I will be taking 37.  I used to a lot anyway checking for rummage sales.

There were rumors out there the heavy police presence was them looking for Alonzo Young.  That was not the case.   – Steve

DU QUOIN, IL – As we continue to aggressively enforce the Fatal Four violations combined with the ongoing commercial vehicle enforcement activities, we are steadily making a massive dent in the number of people making poor choices behind the wheel. These details are a continuation of the I57 crash reduction initiative and are our contribution to the reduction of personal injury and fatal crashes in our area. Are you doing YOUR part??

We are also adding a component to protect us as well. Please, as you pass traffic stops we remind you to adhere to the Move Over Law. It requires you to move over out of the lane adjacent to a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated. If you can’t move over safely, you must slow down and proceed with caution.

There will be a strong ISP presence on I57 through the I24 to I64 corridor today. Because we care about our communities, we ask, do you? Make safe choices today, because we can’t do this without you!!

Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro ) today released the following statement applauding EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s decision to repeal the Obama Administration’s power plant regulations.

“The Obama Administration’s addiction to over-regulation threatened to wipe out hundreds of jobs in Southern Illinois and many thousands nationwide,” said Rep. Bost. “The impact of such a serious hit to the coal industry led to unpredictable home energy prices for hardworking families already struggling to get ahead. I applaud the administration’s decision to secure the reliability and resiliency of America’s electrical grid.”

Illinois State Police photo

MARION, IL- Interstate 57 northbound between exits 45 and 53 is closed due to a traffic crash. Please seek alternate routes until further notice.

This is located at the Route 148 exit, just north of the Interstate 24 interchange.  Traffic on Routes 37 and 148 northbound could become heavy in Williamson County.

From the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency 

UPDATE:
All lanes have been reopened at this time to normal flow as of 2:45 P.M..

TRAFFIC ALERT
The Illinois State Police is currently on scene with a multiple vehicle crash on I57 North Bound at Mile Post 47.
There are injuries and one confirmed fatality. Traffic backed up from the construction was stopped and a semi rear ended a passenger vehicle pushing it into the rear of a second semi.

ISP FATAL TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT
The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 13
WHAT: Three Vehicle Fatal Traffic Crash

WHERE: I57 North Bound Mile Post 47, Williamson County

WHEN: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 at 10:14 A.M.

VEHICLES: 2016 Freightliner in 5 axle combination, a full sized 2002 GMC van, and a 2010 Kenworth in 5 axle combination

DRIVERS: Freightliner – Willie Lee Shelby, a 62 year old male of Madison, MS – Minor injuries – Transported via ambulance to a local hospital.

GMC – Wayne S. Maxwell, a 57 year old male of O’Fallon, IL – Fatally injured – Pronounced deceased on scene by Williamson County Coroner Burke

Kenworth – Jagpreet Singh, a 27 year old male of Lenexa, KS – Uninjured

PASSENGER: Kenworth – Sarbjit Singh, a 32 year old male of Lenexa, KS – Uninjured

PRELIMINARY: Preliminary investigative details indicate traffic on I57 North Bound was backed up due to a construction project that began at mile post 48. All three of the involved vehicles in this incident were north bound at mile post 47. The Kenworth was leading, followed by the GMC. Both of these vehicles were slowed nearly to a stop for the backed up traffic. The Freightliner struck the rear of the GMC shoving it into the rear of the Kenworth causing the fatal injuries to Maxwell.
All north bound traffic was diverted off of I57 at Exit 45 until approximately 2:45 P.M. when it resumed normal flow. All three vehicles were towed from the scene due to damage.

CHARGES: Shelby was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid a Crash. Additional charges could be levied pending further investigation by Illinois State Police Crash Reconstruction Officers.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.