Salem, IL (July 6, 2026) – A 79-year-old Centralia man was hurt early on Saturday morning, July 4, after a semi struck his vehicle on I-57 at mile marker 111, approximately five miles south of Salem, Illinois, and fled the scene.
The collision occurred at 3:49 a.m. John Sprehe, of Anderson St in Centralia, was taken to an area hospital by emergency units for treatment of a cut to the head. The truck driver left without stopping and had not been located as of the initial report on the accident.
A fire crew was initially called to assist, but was turned back before reaching the crash. No further details about the semi or its driver were available in the early report on the wreck. The search for the truck driver is ongoing, and more information will be released as the investigation develops.
We are glad Mr. Sprehe received medical attention and wish him a smooth recovery.
What to Know About Hit-and-Run Crashes Involving Commercial Trucks in Illinois
Hit-and-run crashes involving semi-trucks are taken extremely seriously under Illinois law, in part because of the significant harm a large commercial vehicle can cause and the resources required to track one down after the fact. Unlike passenger vehicles, commercial trucks are subject to federal and state regulations that require extensive record-keeping, including logbooks, GPS tracking, and cargo manifests, all of which can assist investigators in identifying and locating a driver who leaves a crash scene. Weigh stations, toll records, and fuel receipts are also commonly used to trace a truck’s route after a hit-and-run.
Interstate 57 is a major north-south freight corridor in Illinois, carrying heavy commercial traffic through the southern part of the state at all hours. Early morning hours on a holiday weekend can see a mix of long-haul truckers and reduced passenger traffic, conditions that may factor into how quickly a fleeing vehicle is noticed by other drivers.
Leaving the scene of an injury crash in Illinois is a criminal offense, and the severity of the charge increases when the injured person required medical attention, as was the case here.
