Fatal crash south of Paderborn

An Illinois State Police accident reconstruction team continues to investigate a fatal multi-vehicle crash south of Paderborn.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said that shortly before 5:50 a.m. Thursday, deputies were dispatched to the area of Floraville Road at Loehr Road for an injury crash.

Three vehicles were found at the scene and none were still in the roadway, police said. One person was trapped in a Hyundai Elantra, one person was found deceased in a Ford Escape, and a third person involved was driving another Ford Escape.

It was determined the first two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision and at least one of the vehicles was still in the roadway after that first crash, police said. Shortly after, the second Ford Escape drove into and struck the first crash scene and all of the vehicles were found off the roadway.

“The driver who died was in the Ford Escape involved in the first crash, but it is not known at this time which crash actually caused the fatality,” St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Bruce Fleshren said.

Virginia Mueth

St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the deceased as Virginia “Ginny” Mueth, 71, of Millstadt.

The other drivers were a 52-year-old male from Coulterville and a 29-year-old female from Millstadt.

The driver of the Hyundai Elantra was transported to Belleville Memorial with non-life-threatening injuries and the driver of the second Ford Escape was treated at the scene.

Floraville Road was closed until about 11 a.m. Thursday for the accident reconstruction team to complete its investigation.

The sheriff’s department and ISP were assisted at the scene by the Hecker and Smithton fire departments, Millstadt EMS and Monroe County EMS.

A family member said Mueth, a retiree from the Millstadt branch of First National Bank of Waterloo, was traveling to her current job at Ed Morse Parts Center in Red Bud when the crash occurred.

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