Jarseyville, IL :Man, grandchild killed in crash on Sunday, July 5th 2015

A man and his granddaughter, driving at night and without headlights, were killed Monday when their car crossed the center line of U.S. 67 and struck a tractor-trailer head-on, police said.The victims were identified as Christopher J. Kuebrich, 44, and his granddaughter Myah E. Brown, 4, both of Jerseyville.An Illinois state trooper had actually spotted Kuebrich, driving a 1998 Ford Taurus southbound, minutes before the crash and had been following him with emergency lights and siren, but he did not pull over, police said in a statement.Kuebrich did not have the lights on when his vehicle crossed the line and collided with a northbound 2006 Volvo truck-tractor and semitrailer driven by Harold C. Hardwick, 47, of Jerseyville, Illinois State Police District 18 said.The collision, at 9:05 p.m., forced the shutdown of 67 in both directions until 4:05 the next morning. The crash occurred just south of Davidson Road, about two miles south of Jerseyville.Both vehicles came to rest in the ditch on the east side of the highway.Both Kuebrich, who was not wearing a seat belt, and his granddaughter, a rear-seat passenger in a booster seat, were pronounced dead at the scene by the Jersey County coroner at 9:27 p.m.Hardwick, who was wearing a seat belt, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Jersey Community Hospital in Jerseyville.Hardwick was charged with driving under the influence, possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.Hardwick, in a phone interview with The Telegraph on Tuesday, was very emotional.“I don’t know how I’m going to make it. Please make sure people know I wasn’t at fault,” he said.He acknowledged that he did have a marijuana “pinch hitter box” (paraphernalia) in the truck, but said he was not under the influence. He said he tries marijuana from time to time to help him sleep and that the substance can stay in the blood for many days.Hardwick said he drove a truck for about six years and never had an accident or a ticket. No more, though.“I’ll never drive a truck again,” he said. “I’ll never be able to get the picture of this out of my mind. The last thing I can picture is that guy looking straight at me.”Hardwick also said the Taurus driver did not have his headlights on at the time of the crash. He said police had spotted the car minutes before at the Wal-Mart store in Jerseyville.A statement from Master Trooper Doug Francis confirmed that police were following the Taurus.“Prior to the crash, an Illinois State Police trooper observed the Ford Taurus traveling southbound on U.S. 67 at the south city limits of Jerseyville,” the statement said. “The trooper attempted to stop the car for driving without headlights, and had followed the vehicle with emergency lights and siren activated. The driver, however, did not pull over. Other than driving without headlights, no other violations were observed and therefore the car was allowed to continue on according to the Illinois State Police policy.“The policy states that officers of the Illinois State Police will not pursue a vehicle for a traffic offense only. Policy further states that officers of the Illinois State Police may pursue a vehicle if the officer believes that the occupant(s) has committed or attempted a forcible felony which involves the infliction or threatened infliction of great bodily harm,” the statement concluded.Police had contacted media Monday night, asking them to tell motorists to take alternate routes. Illinois Department of Transportation said 67 was closed from Crystal Lake Road to Jones Road.The crash remains under investigation by Illinois State Police District 18.Coroner Larry Alexander said the cause of death was injuries sustained in the crash. Any decision on an inquest will be made, he said, after the results of a toxicology test, which routinely takes several weeks.Arrangements for both victims are pending at Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville.

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Man, grandchild killed in crash