Crime & Safety
Man Killed in I-55 Crash Near Channahon
The driver was struck from behind and pushed into a semi-truck that was in front of him, reports said.
An Arlington Heights man whose car was struck from behind on Interstate 55 near Channahon died Wednesday afternoon at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, according to the Will County Coroner's Office.
John R. Hoeppel, 61, was declared dead at 4:01 p.m.
The Illinois State Police, which is handling the investigation, said the driver of the car that caused the accident was southbound and had just crested it a hill near the Interstate 80 interchange, according to a Sun-Times Media Wire story. He could not slow down to avoid striking the rear of Hoeppel's car.
The impact from the collision pushed Hoeppel's car under a semi-truck in front of him, the story said. The first car flipped over and struck another vehicle, the story said.
The driver of the first car, whose name was not released, sustained non-life-threatening injuries for which he was treated at Presence St. Joseph. He was ticketed for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident, the Sun-Times Media story said.
The Illinois State Police is investigating the crash and will reconstruct the scene, the coroner's office said. An autopsy on Hoeppel will be conducted Wednesday.
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