Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputies along with Fairfield Rural Fire Department and Wayne County Ambulance personnel were called to the scene of two separate vehicle crashes over the weekend and into Monday, resulting in multiple injuries.
The first accident occurred Saturday afternoon just before 1 p.m. at the intersection of Illinois Highway 15 and County Road 2300E in Grover Township. According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, a 2002 Mack truck driven by 67-year-old Steven R. Webb of Golden Gate collided with a 2004 Chevrolet SUV driven by 32-year-old Dakota S. Morgan of Fairfield. Deputies say Morgan was traveling westbound on Illinois Highway 15 when Webb, heading north on County Road 2300E, pulled into Morgan’s path, causing the SUV to strike the rear tires of the Mack truck.
Webb was uninjured in the crash, but a passenger in the Morgan vehicle, 29-year-old Dawn Carter, was treated at the scene by Wayne County Ambulance personnel. Another passenger, 38-year-old Jacob Cottrill, was not injured. Steven Webb was cited for disobeying a traffic control device.
The second crash happened Monday morning just before 10:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 45 at County Road 375N near Barnhill. Deputies report that a 2008 Chevrolet Impala, driven by 38-year-old April Vaughan of Fairfield, was traveling west on County Road 375N when Vaughan became distracted by conversation with a passenger. The Impala drifted into the eastbound lane as it approached a hill crest and collided head-on with a 2021 Honda Passport driven by 19-year-old Ava Kreiter of Fairfield.
Vaughan had to be extricated from her vehicle and was airlifted by Air Evac to Deaconness Midtown Hospital in Evansville for treatment. A passenger in Vaughan’s vehicle, 20-year-old Hunter Brown, was transported by Wayne County Ambulance to Fairfield Memorial Hospital ER. Ava Kreiter was also taken to Fairfield Memorial Hospital with injuries. Vaughan was cited for improper lane usage following the crash.