A truck driver and passenger were killed in an accident Wednesday morning after an 18-wheeler crashed into an overpass near New Baden. The cab of the truck was split in half when it hit the Billhartz overpass on I-64 around 6:00 a.m.
According to the Illinois State Police, Alex Delgado, 24, of Key West, Florida, was driving westbound on I-64 when he allegedly swerved into the left lane, then overcorrected to the right, causing him to drive off the road and strike the bridge support. Passenger Melvin Lewis, 54, also of Florida, was ejected from the cab.
Both Delgado and Lewis were pronounced dead at the scene by the Clinton County coroner. Both lanes of I-64 westbound near the 32 milepost was closed for about 8 hours during the clean up. The accident remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police. The bridge was also inspected to make sure it was not structurally damaged.
