A fiery accident at County Line Road and Illinois Route 1 (Dixie Highway) in rural Beecher involving a semi-truck and two cars claimed the life of a Joliet man late Friday afternoon, ramping up calls for safety improvements following the deadly crash.
Manuel S. Del Torro, 47, of Joliet, was pronounced dead on the scene at 5:12 p.m. on February 13, as a result of injuries suffered in the crash, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office and Illinois State Police.
The accident occurred at County Line Road and Illinois Route 1 (Dixie Highway) — an intersection that has been the site of numerous fatal crashes over the years, Beecher Fire Chief Joe Falaschetti said.
Emergency crews from the Beecher Fire Protection District were dispatched to the scene of the accident just after 3 p.m. Due to the fire and severity of the accident, the call was upgraded to an extrication response.
Upon arrival, crews encountered a semi-truck with heavy front-end damage, a heavily damaged passenger vehicle fully engulfed in flames with the driver trapped inside, and another passenger vehicle with minor damage.
The Beecher Fire Protection District immediately went to work extinguishing the flames and evaluating patients, according to a statement from Falaschetti.
Illinois State Police investigated the crash.
Police said Del Toro was traveling westbound on County Line Road when he failed to stop at the stop sign on Illinois Route 1. His vehicle was then struck by the semi-truck, which was heading northbound on Route 1, causing the vehicle to catch on fire, the preliminary accident investigation report indicated.
Information on how the second vehicle was involved in the wreck was not available at the time of publication.
In total, four patients were assessed on the scene, with three refusing medical treatment, Beecher Fire reported.
In addition to the Beecher Fire Protection District, the Grant Park Fire Protection District responded to the scene and assisted with patient assessment and traffic control.
“Today’s loss is another painful reminder that the current conditions on Illinois Route 1 and County Line Road are not acceptable,” Falaschetti said.
“The Beecher Fire Protection District will continue to call upon our Illinois state legislators, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and all appropriate state agencies to prioritize immediate safety improvements at this location,” Falaschetti added.
“Our residents and all motorists, who travel this corridor, deserve a safer intersection,” Falaschetti said.