Glen Carbon, IL : Truck driver dies in crash and fire on Interstate 270 in Glen Carbon on Wednesday morning, August 24, 2016

A truck driver died Wednesday morning when his tractor-trailer hauling sand swerved across Interstate 270, struck a tree and caught fire, according to the Illinois State Police.

The truck crashed about 9:20 a.m. on I-270 about one mile east of Illinois 157. State police closed all eastbound lanes of the interstate, and did not reopen all of them until after 3 p.m.

Trooper Calvin Dye Jr. said investigators suspect the driver, who was westbound on I-270, was stricken by a medical condition.

"Witnesses said he jerked the wheel hard to left, went across the median, through the oncoming traffic lanes and struck a tree," Dye said. "That leads us to believe there may have been a medical emergency of some sort."

The truck broke through the median barriers and cause fire when it struck the tree, which is south of the eastbound lanes.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene about 10 a.m. A spokesman for the Madison County coroner's office said the victim's name will not be released until Friday. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine cause of death.

The Glen Carbon and Maryville fire departments put out the fire. The fire scorched part of the Meridian Road overpass.

Joseph Monroe, district operations engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the Meridian bridge appeared to be safe. But he said engineers will examine it again Friday to decide whether it needs any repairs or weight restrictions.

Meridian was reopened several hours after the crash.

Source :
Truck driver dies in crash and fire on Interstate 270 in Glen Carbon