LINCOLN (Heartland Newsfeed) — Three people are reported as dead as a result of a small plane crash along Interstate 55 near Lincoln before 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Illinois State Police.
The accident took place just south of the merge point with Interstate 155 at mile marker 126 at roughly 8:49 a.m., with the plane catching on fire shortly afterwards.
The Logan County coroner declared them dead shortly after 11:15 a.m.
Southbound traffic on I-55 was being diverted into Lincoln at Illinois Routes 10 and 121 to Business 55 with re-entry at mile marker 123. Traffic is blocked southbound until mid-afternoon.
It’s not currently clear what type of plane was flown, where the flight originated from or what resulted in the crash.
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.