Three 14-year-olds killed when UTV crashes into grain hauler, Illinois troopers say
Three teens were killed in a crash between a utility terrain vehicle and a grain hauler truck, according to Illinois State Police.
It happened at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, in Shelby County, troopers said.
The girls, all 14 years old, were riding a UTV on County Road 3150 E and ran a stop sign, troopers said in a news release. The UTV cut in front of a grain hauler, slamming into its front, according to the release.
One of the teens died at the scene, according to police.
A second teen was taken to a hospital where she died from her injuries, troopers said. A third teen was airlifted to a regional hospital and also died.
Authorities didn’t publicly identify the girls, but all three were going to be freshmen, according to the Stewardson-Strasburg Community Unit school district.
“It is with deep sadness that I write this about a tragic accident that has resulted in a significant impact in our schools and in our community,” Superintendent Justin Deters wrote on the district’s Facebook page.
“Three of our incoming freshmen students were involved in this accident,” he said. “Please pray for these three students and their families.”
Troopers didn’t release additional information.
Shelby County is about an 60-mile drive southeast from Springfield.