Interstate 39 crash in Wenona resulted in St. Louis man’s death; 2 other injuries

A 22-year-old St. Louis man died in a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 39 southbound Friday afternoon near Wenona, and a Whitewater, Wisconsin woman was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The Illinois State Police District 8 said at about 4:15 p.m. Friday a tractor semi-trailer driven by Goran Kurtuma, 49, of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, and a Cadillac XTS driven by Peter L. Paulson, 69, of Mt. Zion, were stopped on Interstate 39 southbound at mile post 35 because of a traffic delay and lane reduction before a construction zone.

A Mercedes Sprinter Van driven by the 22-year-old St. Louis man and a Chevrolet Volt driven by Donna E. Parker, 53, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, were traveling southbound, approaching mile post 35 when the front end of the St. Louis man’s van struck the rear of Kortuma’s tractor semi-trailer, police said. Parker struck both the St. Louis man and the tractor semi-trailer.

Because of the impact, Kurtuma struck the rear of Paulson’s vehicle, according to police.

The St. Louis man and Parker were flown to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. The St. Louis man died of his injuries, police said. Officials have not released his name. Kurtuma was taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries, while Paulson and his passenger reported no injuries on scene, police said.

The state police are investigating the crash.