 When troopers arrived, they observed a tanker-trailer unit off the
road on its side in a ditch west of the roadway. The power unit
tractor had separated from the trailer and was on its side on the
shoulder just south of the trailer. The trailer ruptured, spilling
the entire contents of a sugar-based syrup on the roadway.The
driver, Benjamin L. Oler, 32, of Lisbon, Iowa, had to be extricated
from the power unit by the Springfield Fire Department. He was then
transported to St. John's Hospital in Springfield for treatment. The
extent of his injuries was unknown at that time.
The crash caused two of the three lanes of southbound traffic to
be closed for about two hours. The Illinois Department of
Transportation assisted with traffic control during the crash
investigation and lane closures.
[to top of second column]
 |
 An investigation showed that the tractor-trailer was southbound
on I-55 when it exited the roadway. The trailer went sideways and
struck a guardrail. The collision caused the power unit to separate
from the trailer. The power unit slid on its side on the roadway
shoulder, where it rested. The trailer then ruptured, spilling the
contents on the roadway. The trailer unit came to rest in the ditch
west of the interstate.
Attending the scene were Illinois State Police, Springfield
Police Department, Sangamon County Sheriff's Department, Springfield
Fire Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
[Illinois State Police
report; LDN]
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