Pickup Truck Driver Seriously Hurt In DUI Crash Involving Fuel Tanker: Crest Hill PD

CREST HILL, IL — It took emergency crews more than 30 minutes to extricate a pickup truck driver after his vehicle became trapped underneath a fuel tanker truck after midnight on Plainfield Road in Crest Hill, police said.

Police responded to the serious crash just before 12:30 a.m. Friday, after the pickup became trapped under the tanker that had just finished refilling gasoline at the Speedway gas station in the 2400 block of Plainfield Road.

Citing "extensive damage" to the pickup truck, police said crews worked to extricate the driver, "whose injuries appeared to be severe."

Crest Hill police requested assistance from Illinois State Police for accident reconstruction, and the Will County Sheriff's Office assisted with traffic control, including completely shutting down Route 30 in both directions for several hours.

Police sent out community notifications through the Everbridge system to alert residents of the road closure. When the investigation was completed at 4:30 a.m. and the road was reopened, a second alert was sent to notify residents.

According to Crest Hill police, investigators determined that the pickup truck driver was impaired. He was arrested for DUI and traffic offenses, including failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The tanker truck driver was not injured, said police.

Police did not say what condition the pickup truck driver was in as of late Friday morning. His name has not yet been released.