A Bellefontaine man was pronounced dead at the scene of a head-on crash that occurred about 2:10 p.m. Monday along U.S. Route 68, north of Urbana.
Gavin Stanley, 22, was killed after the 2004 Honda Accord he was driving reportedly traveled left-of-center, striking a pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction.
Deputies from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office report Stanley was northbound in the 2300 block of U.S. Route 68 when his vehicle crossed the center line and into the southbound lane of travel. His vehicle reportedly narrowly missed striking a tow truck before colliding with a southbound Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Bruce Towler, 78.
Impact from the collision sent the pickup truck spinning off the right side of the roadway, and both the driver, as well as a passenger, Barbara Towler, 76, had to be mechanically extracted from the vehicle.
The Stanley vehicle came to rest in the middle of the road.
Mr. Towler was transported to the hospital by EMS from the Macochee Joint Ambulance District. Mrs. Towler was transported from the scene by CareFlight to an area hospital.
Champaign County sheriff’s and coroner’s offices are still investigating the crash.
The north- and southbound lanes of U.S. 68 were closed for a time.