One dead in Interstate 55 accident
FARMERSVILLE — A truck driver from Northern Illinois is dead following an accident last week in the panhandle of Montgomery County.
The accident, which occurred last Thursday, Sept. 22, occurred two-and-a-half miles north of Farmersville along Interstate 55.
Frank Amendola, 67, of Somonauk was northbound on Interstate 55 in a Kenworth semi when he collided with the rear end of another semi. The other vehicle, operated by Darin W. Hoener, 46, of Canton, Mo. was also northbound.
The collision occurred while approaching a construction zone and merging onto one lane.
Amendola was transported from the scene with life-threatening injuries to an area hospital. A statement from the Illinois State Police stated that he was later pronounced dead.
The northbound lanes of Interstate 55 in the area were closed for approximately five hours for crash reconstruction and recovery. Northbound traffic was diverted off at Farmersville to either the frontage road, Route 4, or Black Diamond Trail, depending on the destination.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
