Brownstown woman dies from injuries in crash

A Brownstown woman died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 57  on Saturday evening.
According to the Illinois State Police, Shirley M. Klitzing, 83, of Brownstown was driving a 1996 Oldmobile southbound in the in the northbound lanes of traffic at the 159.5 mile marker of I-57 shortly before 10:30 p.m. when the vehicle crashed into a 2015 Freightliner and trailer driven by Richard P. Messerve, 68, of Mayer, Ariz.
The state police said that the Klitzing vehicle sustained damage to the front and driver’s side and was thrown around the Messerve tractor and trailer, which overturned into a guardrail.
Both Klitzing and Messerve had to be extricated from their vehicles.
Messerve was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and Klitzing was flown to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, where she was pronounced dead due to her injuries.
The state police also reported a two-vehicle accident at 5:37 p.m. on Monday on U.S. Route 40, three-quarters of a mile east of Fayette County Road 1125 East, at Bluff City.
According to the state police, Danny S. Hurren, 40, of Vandalia, was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe west on U.S. Route 40, behind a 2012 Dodge Caravan driven by Richard W. Matlock, 50, of Effingham.
The state police said that Matlock had stopped to deliver mail, with his flashers on and an oscillating amber light on top of his vehicle, and was just starting to merge back into traffic at a slow rate of speed when the passenger side of Hurren’s vehicle struck the rear driver side of his vehicle.
Matlock was transported to Fayette County Hospital by Rural Med ambulance.
Hurren was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
The state police also reported a two-vehicle accident at 5:17 p.m. on Tuesday on Ill. Route 128 at Fayette County Road 2950 North, about one mile north of Mocassin Road.
According to the accident report, Malayne L. Seaton, 19, of Herrick, was driving south on Route 128 when she failed to reduce speed and struck the rear of a farm implement being towed by a 2000 John Deere 9400 tractor driven by David Rodger Abendroth, 34, of St. Elmo.
Seaton’s vehicle sustained front-end damage in the crash, and she was transported to HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham for treatment.