Police Busy in Ridgway on Saturday

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Illinois State Police arrested Larry Thrasher of Ridgway on an outstanding Warrant from Saline County, the charges are not available at this time but Thrasher was taken to Saline County Jail.

Also on Saturday, Seth Gunther of Shawneetown was stopped in Ridgway for excessive speed. It had been reported that he was driving in excess of 100 miles per hour on Il. Rt. 1 before turning into Ridgway.  The Ridgway Police stopped him and he was arrested for DUI -Drugs, Possession of Cannibas and excessive speed.  He bonded out awaiting appearance at courthouse.

Saturday afternoon the Illinois State Police executed a search warrant at the home of Frederick Zirkelbach 235 City Park Rd., Ridgway with the assistance of the Ridgway Police and other agencies.  Mr. Zirkelbach was arrested and placed in custody at the White County Jail.  All charges of the arrest have not been released yet.

ISP Reports Crash

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

WHAT:                       Multi-Vehicle / Serious Personal Injury Traffic Crash 

WHERE:                    Saline County – Illinois Route 34 at County Road 2570S 

WHEN:                       08/16/12 at approximately 2:19 pm

VEHICLES:               2008 Honda Element

                                    1995 Toyota Camry  

DRIVERS:                 Fred Brantley, age 58, Ozark, Illinois
Cynthia Vaughn, age 55, Rosiclare, Illinois  

PRELIMINARY:      According to the preliminary investigation, the driver of the 2008 Honda Element, Fred Brantley, was traveling northbound on Illinois Route 34 at Saline County Road 2570S, when, for unknown reasons, he crossed the center line and struck head-on the southbound 1995 Toyota Camry, driven by Cynthia Vaughn. 

                                    Brantley refused medical treatment at the crash scene.  Vaughn was transported by Air Evac to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, for treatment of her injuries.  A passenger in Vaughn’s vehicle, Judith Oxford, age 55, of Elizabethtown, Illinois, was transported by the Saline County Ambulance Service to the Harrisburg Medical Center for treatment.

                                    Both vehicles were removed from the crash scene by Bishop’s Towing of Harrisburg.  

                                    ISP District 19 was assisted at the crash scene by the Saline County Sheriff’s Department and the Saline County Ambulance Service.       

Motorcycle Wreck

62-year-old Lester R. Jordan of Herod, IL was seriously hurt late Saturday afternoon when the motorcycle he was operating on Pounds Hollow Road just southwest of Pounds Lake Road in Gallatin County went off the roadway and down an embankment before hitting a tree.  Police said Jordan told them he fell asleep just before the crash.  He was not wearing a helmet, and was taken to the Harrisburg Medical Center for treatment of his injuries and later transferred to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN.

Another Bad Accident on Rt. 13

May 2, 2012

Wednesday morning at about 8:30 AM another horrific accident happened on Illinois Rt. 13 between New and Old Shawneetown.  According to the police report, a coal truck driven by 72 year old Glen Shewmaker was heading East.  The truck was headed to the river dock loaded with coal.  For unknown reasons, the truck veered off the road on his side, struck the guard rail and then was thrown back acroos the road to the other side and went through the guard rail and down the embankment.   He was ejected from the truck and was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Tony Cox.   
According to the Coroner, an autopsy was conducted and results are pending.   The Gallatin County Coroners office, Sheriff Dept., Shawneetown Police and Fire and the Illinois State Police were all present during the investigation.