COOKSVILLE, IL — Two women were killed Sunday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash at an intersection in rural McLean County, according to the county coroner and Illinois State Police. The collision happened about 3 p.m. near the meeting of Illinois Route 9 and 2600 East Road, east of Cooksville. Authorities said the crash involved an SUV and a passenger van. Emergency crews responded to the scene, where one woman was pronounced dead immediately and several other people were taken to area hospitals with injuries.
Crash Details
Preliminary information from investigators says the SUV carried only one person, a 58-year-old woman from Ellsworth. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The van also had multiple occupants, and one of them, an 82-year-old woman from Millbrae, California, died at the crash site as well. She was riding as a rear passenger in the van. Officials did not immediately release the names of the victims.
Hospitalized Survivors
Several other people involved in the crash were transported by ambulance to hospitals in the region. Authorities did not say how many people were hurt or provide details on the severity of their injuries. Their conditions were not immediately known Sunday night. Investigators also had not said which vehicle the hospitalized passengers were riding in, beyond confirming that the SUV and van were both involved in the same collision.
Investigation Continues
The McLean County Coroner’s Office and the Illinois State Police are continuing to investigate what caused the wreck. At this stage, officials have only identified the crash as a two-vehicle collision and have not announced whether speed, right-of-way, roadway conditions or any other factor may have played a role. The scene was in a rural part of the county, where Route 9 and 2600 East Road intersect outside Cooksville.
What Officials Said
The coroner’s office released the information late Sunday night, and WMBD TV first reported the incident. The update confirmed the deaths of the two women and noted that others were taken for medical care. No additional information about the victims, the other occupants or the sequence of events was available by late Sunday. Officials said the investigation remains open, and further details would come from the coroner’s office and state police as they become available.
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