An Indiana man was hospitalized with injuries after police say he struck a semi on Interstate 74 Tuesday afternoon.
Illinois State Police say 31-year-old Austin Shields of Anderson, Indiana was driving eastbound on Interstate 74 near the Gilbert Street exit around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday when he veered off the right side of the highway and struck a semi that had been stopped due to mechanical issues.
The two occupants of the semi, 52-year-old Rene Cruzata and 23-year-old Brandy Perez, both of Hialeah, Florida, were outside of the vehicle placing warning triangles onto the roadway. Neither man was injured.
Traffic was redirected off the interstate for about an hour before the left lane was reopened. The right lane was closed for several hours for debris removal.
Shields was issued a citation for improper lane usage.
