MARION COUNTY — Area first responders are reminding motorists to be on the lookout for motorcycles and farm equipment, which both increase in numbers this time of year.
The word of caution comes after weekend accidents in Marion County, one of which sent a 50-year-old sandoval man to the hospital for treatment of injuries he suffered when a car pulled into the path of his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 51.
According to Illinois State Police, around 8 o’clock Saturday night, Edwin Kingston was traveling southbound on his motorcycle when a Ford F-150 truck driven by 18-year-old Sarah Foltz of Patoka turned left from Range Road onto the highway in front of him.
The front passenger side of the pickup struck Kingston’s motorcycle, which continued into the ditch on the southeast side of the intersection.
Kingston was taken to St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Centralia for treatment of injuries and Foltz was cited for failure to yield.
Later Saturday night, an agricultural sprayer driven by William Muma of St. Peter was traveling eastbound on Highway 50, when it was struck by a Dodge Durango driven by 43-year-old Steven Hall, of Vandalia.
Hall was driving eastbound behind the sprayer and attempted to pass the farm equipment on the left when it stopped to make a left hand turn onto Norton Road.
Hall was taken to Salem Township Hospital for treatment of injuries and was cited for improper passing and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.