Woman Dies In Head-On Wilmington Collision

WILMINGTON, IL — A 57-year-old Sauk Village resident died Thursday morning following a head-on collision in Wilmington. The fiery crash happened on New River Road near Boathouse Road and left two other motorists hospitalized in Joliet, according to news reports.

The Will County Coroner's Office identified the crash victim as Annette Reed. She was pronounced dead at 6:53 a.m. at Joliet's Amita St. Joe's hospital emergency room.

Wilmington Police Chief Phil Arnold issued a press release indicating that Wilmington officers were called to the scene of a fatal crash involving two vehicles on New River Road near Boathouse Rd at 6 a.m.

"The vehicles were located with heavy damage that appeared to have resulted from a head-on crash," police stated. Witnesses told police that one of the drivers was traveling westbound while passing a semi tractor-trailer combination on a curve in a no-passing zone when the vehicle collided with the second vehicle, which was going eastbound.

Ambulances from the Wilmington Fire Protection District transported the driver and passenger in the first vehicle to AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet and that's where Reed was pronounced dead.

The driver of the second vehicle was also taken to AMITA with serious injuries, police noted.

The Illinois State Police was called in to help Wilmington reconstruct the crash.

"Results of that investigation will identify and confirm fault for the collision and appropriate action will be taken at that time," Wilmington police stated.

Thursday morning's crash forced Wilmington Police to close New River Road from Kankakee Street to Interstate 55 for several hours.