ISP DISTRICT 19 TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT

The Following Preliminary Information is Being Released by Illinois State Police District 19:

WHAT:Fatal Traffic Crash

WHERE: Enterprise Road at Illinois Route 161 (Wayne County)

WHEN:05/11/2018, at approximately 1:17 pm

VEHICLES:Red, 2014, Freightliner Truck, towing a White, 2017, Wabash Semi-Trailer

White, 2015, Dodge Ram Truck

DRIVERS:Steven S.F. Vanarkel, age 35, of Holt, Missouri (Freightliner Truck)

Brian P. Cotton, age 31, of Fairfield, Illinois (Dodge Ram Truck / Deceased)

PASSENGERS:Jessica N. Vanarkel, age 29, of Holt, Missouri (Freightliner Truck)

Juvenile Male, age 10, of Holt, Missouri (Freightliner Truck)

Emery Stutzman, Jr., age 32, of Cisne, Illinois (Dodge Ram Truck)

CAUSE:Disobeying Stop Sign.

TRANSPORTS:Stutzman was transported by Air Evac to a regional hospital.

ROAD CONDITIONS:Open

PRELIMINARY:According to the preliminary traffic crash investigation, the driver of the 2014 Freightliner truck/semi-trailer combination, Steven S.F. Vanarkel, was northbound on Enterprise Road in rural Wayne County, when for unknown reasons he failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Enterprise Road and Illinois Route 161.  The driver of the 2015 Dodge Ram truck, Brian P. Cotton, was westbound on Illinois Route 161 when he struck the semi-trailer as it crossed Illinois Route 161.   

Cotton was pronounced deceased at the scene of the traffic crash by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office.  A passenger in Cotton’s vehicle, Emery Stutzman, Jr., was transported from the crash scene by Air Evac to a regional hospital.   

An ISP Traffic Crash Reconstruction Officer and an ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer were assigned to the crash investigation.  ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by ISP Crime Scene Services, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Wayne County Coroner’s Office, Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Wayne County Ambulance Service, North Wayne Ambulance Service, Air Evac, Wayne County Highway Department, and Rick’s Towing Service.   

CHARGES:Steven S.F. Vanarkel was issued a citation for Disobeying a Stop Sign.

All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.