James H. Roberts Obituary, Death; – The Madison County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the individual who lost their life in an accident on Tuesday afternoon.
As per a statement, 67-year-old James H. Roberts was operating a semi-truck loaded with rocks while traveling southbound on Illinois Route 159, near North Deer Park Drive, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Another truck, also transporting rocks and heading northbound, veered across the center line and collided with Roberts’ vehicle.
Authorities indicate that the northbound truck crossed the center line in an attempt to avoid a fuel tanker that was stationary in the northbound lane, preparing to make a left turn. The driver of the northbound truck was subsequently transported to a local hospital.
Roberts was declared deceased shortly before 5 p.m. An autopsy indicated that the preliminary cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and chest. Officials are still awaiting the results of a toxicology report, so a definitive cause of death has not yet been established. The Illinois State Police, along with its Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit, is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.
