Quick Facts:
Where: The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Interstate 55 in McLean County, Illinois.
What Happened: A tractor-trailer allegedly struck the back of a disabled SUV.
Participants:
- Rickey Washington Jr., driver of Ford Explorer
- Driver of tractor-trailer
Reported Injuries/Fatalities:
- Rickey Washington Jr., 43, killed
- Driver of tractor-trailer, injured
Details:
On or about Tuesday, December 28th, 2021, around 8:46 at night, an accident between a tractor-trailer and a disabled SUV claimed the life of a 43-year-old Kalamazoo man. Troopers from the ISP said the accident was reported along the southbound side of Interstate 55 in McLean County.
Spokespeople from the Illinois State Police said 43-year-old Rickey Washington Jr. was killed when a tractor-trailer allegedly slammed into the back of Washington’s Ford Explorer, which was disabled on I-55. Emergency responders pronounced Washington dead of his injuries a short time after they arrived at the scene. Paramedics transported the driver of the tractor-trailer to a nearby hospital with injuries of an unknown nature or severity.
According to Google Maps, Interstate 55 winds north and south through the center of McLean County, which is about 128 miles south of downtown Chicago.
Authorities are still examining the cause of the accident.