The recent string of vehicle crashes in Monroe County continued on Friday with an early morning rollover on I-255 followed by a car crashing into a field near Valmeyer around noon.

A 27-year-old Columbia man was airlifted to Saint Louis University Hospital after his 2013 Dodge Ram pickup lost control on a curve near the Columbia exit on I-255 southbound around 4:20 a.m. Friday.

The truck was resting on its side upon emergency responder arrival. Columbia Fire Department personnel had to cut the roof off of the truck to extract the driver, who was identified by Illinois State Police as Mark Wegmann. He suffered a bad arm injury in the crash, an official who responded to the scene told the Republic-Times. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, however.

An ARCH Air Medical Services helicopter transported Wegmann from the scene. The interstate was shut down for a short period of time as crews cleared the crash.
Around noon, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Valmeyer Fire Department and Monroe County EMS handled a rollover crash involving a young female driver.

The crash occurred in the area of 9402 Bluff Road south of Fountain.

A deputy on scene said it appeared the vehicle went airborne off the roadway before coming to rest upside down in a field. The woman did not suffer serious injuries in the crash, he said.