In a tragic incident on Thursday evening in Peoria County, a multi-vehicle crash resulted in one fatality and several injuries. Authorities reported that a Ford van, driven by 69-year-old Allan Young, collided with a BMW and subsequently struck a GMC SUV head-on. The van rolled over, catching fire, and Young was pronounced dead at the scene. “Witnesses on the scene stated that Young was unconscious and unresponsive in the vehicle when they tried to pull him free, despite the flames coming from the vehicle.” The occupants of the BMW, a 76-year-old male and a 77-year-old female, were transported to OSF with minor injuries, while the GMC passengers, a 65-year-old male and a 13-year-old child, were transported to OSF with serious injuries. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said, “An autopsy on Young demonstrates that he suffered multiple blunt force trauma injuries that were inconsistent with life. He had no evidence of soot or burns in his airway, and lab tests confirmed that he was not alive during the fire in the vehicle that he was entrapped in.”
Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the crash was caused by a medical issue or other factors.