Young Illinois Mother Dies in Collision with Semi Truck

A young mother with a promising future in nursing was killed in a recent accident on Interstate 55 in Lexington, Illinois. Now, her family must pick up the pieces and raise a 1-year-old girl who will never know her mother.

The woman, a resident of Chenoa, Illinois., suffered fatal injuries when her 2016 Dodge Charger crashed into the back of a semi-truck, and Illinois State Police ticketed the driver in the aftermath of the accident.

It happened when the truck, being driven by a 41-year-old New Mexico man, blew a tire, according to police. As he slowed down to pull over to the shoulder, the driver saw a vehicle parked on the side of the highway. To avoid that vehicle, he pulled back into the right lane of I-55.

His abrupt move caused the 25-year-old woman driving the Charger to hit the semi-truck. The report from the Illinois State Police said her car wound up stuck under the semi-truck. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been wearing her seat belt.

Her daughter was also in the car and survived. She was taken to a hospital and released, according to police.

The truck driver received citations for driving with unsafe tires, passing a vehicle on the side of the road and violating minimum speed laws.

The young woman was in her third year of a nursing program in Peoria, Illinois. She worked at a hospital in Bloomington, Illinois., and planned to pursue a career as a labor and delivery nurse after graduation. She recently won an award to help her with her education financially.

Her daughter will need financial assistance to grow up without her mother’s support. An attorney can help them to learn their legal options.