SALEM, Marion County, Ill., Oct. 7, 2026 — A 20-year-old Salem man died Tuesday night, October 6, after his motorcycle collided with an SUV at the intersection of Illinois Route 37 and Tonti Road north of the city. The Marion County coroner has identified him as Anthony Hanshew.
Coroner Claude Howell pronounced Hanshew dead at the scene and said the cause of death will be listed as blunt force trauma to the head. According to Howell, Hanshew was thrown into a nearby field after the impact.
Investigators said the motorcycle was headed north on Route 37 when it struck an SUV crossing eastbound on Tonti Road. A stop sign controls Tonti Road traffic at that intersection. The front passenger side tire of the SUV was knocked off in the collision.
The three people in the SUV were taken to Salem Township Hospital by United Medical Response for treatment of what were described as minor injuries. Illinois State Police have not released their names. The Salem Fire Protection District responded to help the victims, and firefighters from Kinmundy-Alma provided lighting at the scene.
The crash was reported at 8:27 p.m. Tuesday. Both roads stayed closed into the early hours of Wednesday while crews cleared the scene and an Illinois State Police accident reconstructionist investigated.
The investigation remains open. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased.
When Motorcycle Crashes at Rural Intersections Are Most Likely
Crashes like the one at Route 37 and Tonti Road tend to cluster around dusk and the first hours of full darkness, when headlights and reflective gear matter more and drivers crossing from a stop sign have less time to judge a motorcycle's speed and distance. A single headlight is harder to place against a dark road than a car's wider light pattern, and that makes judging how fast a bike is closing more difficult for someone waiting to cross or turn.
Weekday evenings carry their own mix of fatigue and hurry, as drivers finishing work errands meet riders out for an evening ride. Rural two-lane roads add another factor: higher posted speeds mean less time to react once a vehicle enters the intersection, and stop-sign-controlled crossings depend entirely on the crossing driver seeing and yielding correctly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the motorcyclist fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was almost 28 times the passenger-car occupant fatality rate in 2023. That gap holds across seasons but widens in the fall, when earlier sunsets push evening commutes and recreational rides into lower light at the same hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does road surface play a role in motorcycle crash severity? Yes. Loose gravel, painted lines, and uneven pavement give a motorcycle far less margin than a car, and a rider has to balance traction and steering at the same time a driver only has to steer.
What gear actually reduces injury in a motorcycle crash? A DOT-approved helmet lowers the risk of head injury and death substantially, and abrasion-resistant jackets, pants, and gloves cut down on the road rash and fracture injuries common when a rider is thrown from the bike.
What usually causes crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles at intersections? The most common factor is a driver failing to see or correctly judge the speed of an oncoming motorcycle before turning or crossing, particularly at stop-sign or yield-controlled intersections.
Why do motorcycle crashes tend to produce more serious injuries than car crashes? A motorcycle offers no frame, airbags, or seatbelt to absorb a collision, so riders are often thrown from the bike and strike the ground, a vehicle, or roadside objects directly.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Crash in Salem, IL
Anyone involved in a motorcycle crash should call 911 immediately, even if injuries seem minor at first. Adrenaline can mask pain from fractures or internal injuries, so a medical evaluation at a hospital like Salem Township Hospital is worth getting even when someone feels able to walk away.
Stay at the scene until police arrive and a report is filed, and get the responding agency's name and the report number before leaving. If you witnessed a crash or have information about one, Illinois State Police encourage people to come forward, since reconstructionist investigations often depend on outside accounts of what each vehicle was doing in the moments before impact.
