Two killed after truck crashes into UTV carrying 7 people, Illinois officials say

A pickup truck slammed into a packed off-road vehicle, killing two and injuring six in Illinois, police told news outlets.

There were seven people riding in a utility terrain vehicle on a rural road just south of the town of Tremont on Saturday, March 19, authorities told the Associated Press.

Tremont is about 15 miles southeast of Peoria.

The UTV was heading south and a westbound truck crashed into it around 4:50 p.m., Tazewell County Sheriff Jeff Lower told the Peoria Journal Star.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated, and the identities of those involved haven’t been released, though the UTV riders are apparently members of the same family, the sheriff said.

“At first glance, it appears the UTV ran the stop sign, but until further investigation, we have no solid evidence yet,” Lower told the newspaper. “Everyone in this UTV was related, from what we understand, and we are trying to respect the family’s time to grieve.”

Two occupants of the UTV died and the six others involved in the collision were injured, WMBD reported. Four were taken to a hospital, including the drivers of the UTV and the truck.

It is illegal to drive UTVs on the road in Tazewell County, Lower told the Associated Press.

While UTVs are similar to ATVs, or four-wheelers, they tend to be larger and sturdier, and commonly seat up to 4 people, though some models can carry more.

This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Two killed after truck crashes into UTV carrying 7 people, Illinois officials say."