A Crete, Illinois, man has been charged in the accident that seriously damaged one house and destroyed a second in the 800 block of East Second Street on September 3, 2024. Albert Greene, 56, was injured in the crash but is now in stable condition and cooperating with authorities. Mr. Greene did not suffer a medical emergency that caused him to hit two homes. The Kewanee Police Department said the cause of the accident is from excessive speed and “unfamiliarity” with the area. He was not under the influence of any substances.
According to the release from the Kewanee Police Department, “Greene has voluntarily provided his medical records and allowed medical staff from OSF St. Francis to speak with detectives from the Kewanee Police Department. Greene also provided a statement to Kewanee Police Department detectives. It has been determined that Mr. Greene was not under the influence of any substances at the time of the accident, nor did he suffer a medical emergency. Greene is currently stable condition.”
The truck is registered to WinSupply out of Mokena, Illinois. They have fully cooperated with the investigation and have provided dash and cab camera footage of the accident, which captured the moments leading to the accident and the impacts. Based on statements from Mr. Greene and the video footage, speed and his being unfamiliar with the area were contributing factors for the accident.
Albert Greene was issued a citation for speeding 46mph in a 30mph zone, a citation for disobeying a stop sign, and a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Greene has a court date of October 25th, 2024 at 9 AM at the Kewanee Courthouse.
Bill Conner purchased the house in 2014 and has rented to numerous people and families over the years. Mr. Conner said he wants the rubble removed as soon as possible because he doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Mr. Conner has reached out to companies in the area to get the debris removed and the basement filled in. Mr. Conner told RegionalMediaNews he is most concerned about a child getting injured.
Mr. Conner and his team were renovating the property. He said the inside was finished on Monday and they planned to start on the outside so the house could be listed for sale. They were in the house Tuesday morning to gather some items. He said he is thankful they weren’t in the house and that there weren’t any kids walking when it happened. The house was built in 1907.