I was on my way home from work on January 24th and approaching the east overpass, when I noticed traffic slowing way down a quarter mile in front of me, over the top of the hill closer to the overpass. As I drove under the overpass, I noticed a semi stopped at the bottom of the onramp to westbound 44, and two Toyota pickups with damage, in the median between the ramp and North Service Road. I saw a lady standing outside a heavily damaged red Toyota pickup, looking like she was in pain, and a young couple standing outside a while Toyota pickup, located a little further behind the red pickup, they appeared to be shook up, so I turned my flashers on and pulled over right in front of the semi. I called Sullivan PD and told them there was a serious accident at the end of the onramp to wb I-44 from the East Overpass and advised them to respond EMS and Fire ASAP, told the dispatcher it appeared one of the pickups may have rolled over and came to rest against a MODOT sign with heavy damage. I hoofed it back to the scene to check on the folks involved in the accident…the semi driver was outside his truck and didn`t say anything to me so I walked over to check on the female driver of the red Toyota pickup….

It was a nice Tacoma, similar in style and color to mine…with heavy damage, appeared she may have rolled it and the sign prevented another roll of it, at any rate the support of the sign did stop her truck…she had pain in one arm and hand and she was holding her head with the other hand, so I let her know an ambulance was on the way and medics could check her out. I then walked back to check on the young couple, they were not hurt but a little shook up, said the semi collided with both their truck and the lady in the red truck, I let them know help was on the way as well…Sullivan PD officers pulled up about that time and came over to talk to them and me, I let them know what the young couple told me and Officer Reed went to talk to the semi driver to find out his story. EMS pulled up soon after, dropped a medic off to check on the young couple, while the driver, Stetson, relocated to the shoulder of westbound 44. I let Stetson know about the female driver of the red truck and the pain she was experiencing, and they went to check on her. She basically told them she didn`t need an ambulance at that point and they came back to talk to me…Sullivan Fire pulled up at that point in Pumper 854, Damon Sumpter and his crew, while Stetson and I were talking…when all of a sudden we heard brakes locking up on what sounded like a big truck, just east of the scene, and we looked down the interstate to the east and observed a big white grain truck leave the interstate at a rapid speed, climb the steep pitched embankment leading to the North Service Road, and go airborne…STRAIGHT UP into the air several feet high….before gravity kicked in and brought the truck back down to the ground on the drivers side, and the sudden impact with the ground partially ejected the driver from the cab of the truck as the truck came to a rest there at that point….

Stetson and his partner, along with the police officers, ran up there to check on the driver as Damon`s crew drove on up to block off the Service Road and assist…

I can safely say, we were all in total shock watching that unfold right in front of us…and amazingly, that driver must have had God watching out over him because shortly after medics transported him to the hospital, he got up and walked out of there. He and friends traveling behind him, were on their way to Golden City, Missouri, after just having purchased that grain truck a few hours before in Metro East Illinois, for their family farm business. Shortly after leaving the hospital, he picked up the truck and they continued on their journey home. I have a rockhound friend in Golden City, and talked to her that evening about it, she knows the family well, small town, and said they are a hard working family and well respected by folks down there. I was just glad it turned out well for them and the driver was ablel to walk away from it.