A series of three crashes were related in a multiple vehicle pileup in Macoupin County early Thursday morning resulted in a fatality and two men critically injured. Initial Illinois State Police reports only included information on the second crash Thursday, but all details were released today.
The first crash occurred at 4:37AM Thursday near the intersection of Illinois Route 267 and Illinois Route 111 just north of Medora. Preliminary ISP reports indicate that a Red 2005 GMC truck driven by 39 year old Benjamin P. Ruyle of Medora was traveling northbound on Illinois 267 in the area of Illinois 111. A White 2006 GMC truck driven by 57 year old Mark Pyatt of Greenfield was traveling southbound on Illinois 267 in the same area. Ruyle’s red truck crossed into oncoming traffic and struck Pyatt’s white truck head on, leaving Ruyle’s truck disabled sideways across both lanes of traffic in the roadway with no lights on.
A few moments later, a 2015 blue Kia Optima driven by 28 year old Matthew E. Grizzle of Fidelity approached in the southbound lane of Illinois 267 and struck Ruyle’s disabled truck in the roadway in the passenger side. Grizzle’s vehicle left the roadway to the right and came to rest in the west ditch.
A fourth vehicle, a 2012 orange Fiat, driven by 61 year old Terry L. Roberts of Greenfield also approached southbound on Illinois 267 in the same area and struck Ruyle’s truck in the front end with the driver’s side of his vehicle.
Ruyle, Grizzle, and Pyatt were airlifted from the scene with life-threatening injuries to an area hospital. Grizzle would later succumb to his injuries while at the hospital. Roberts refused medical attention at the scene. Riverbender.com reports that Ruyle and Pyatt remain under care in regional hospitals this afternoon, according to Illinois State Police Trooper Josh Korando, a spokesperson for Illinois State Police District 18.
The roadway was closed for reconstruction and recovery for approximately five hours. The ISP Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit (TCRU) responded and is continuing the investigation.