David Greeson, Charles S. Clinard Obituary, Death – Two people lost their lives in a series of crashes that took place Thursday night in Coles County, Illinois. The first collision occurred at the intersection of Route 16 and Lerna Road in Mattoon, near the entrance to Coles County Memorial Airport. According to officials, a car driven by 84-year-old David Greeson of Neoga collided with a semi truck. Greeson died as a result of the crash.
While emergency personnel were on the scene responding to the initial incident, a second crash occurred. The Coles County Sheriff’s Office reported that a pickup truck failed to stop at a traffic light and crashed into an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) vehicle. The IDOT truck had been stationed at the scene to help secure the area following the first crash.
The force of the second collision ruptured the IDOT truck’s fuel tank, which triggered a fire. The driver of the pickup, 61-year-old Charles S. Clinard from Mattoon, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities confirmed that the IDOT personnel in the truck were not injured in the crash.
Emergency crews from multiple agencies responded to manage the wreckage and fire, and an investigation into the sequence of events is ongoing.
