February has not been a good month for motor vehicle accidents near Edwardsville. The month started with a number of serious accidents along Interstate 70 in Madison County. The accidents resulted in several injuries and one fatality.

In one incident, a truck driver was exiting I-70 to go north on I-55 when she lost control of her 2011 tractor-double bottom trailer. She had to be extricated from the cab after the trailer skidded over onto the cab. She was later flown by helicopter to a hospital.

Medical equipment that the truck was hauling was thrown across the highway during the accident, and police had to shut down the exit for more than five hours, according to a news report. The driver was ticketed for failing to slow down to avoid the accident.

In another incident, police responded to an accident on I-70 near Highland where a motorist hit an embankment. The driver was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived. He was transported to a hospital. Police did not know why the man's vehicle left the highway and hit the embankment. He was ticketed for improper lane use.

Another motor vehicle crash left a Granite City man dead early this month. The man was driving his ATV on Old Alton Road near I-70. He was following another ATV when the vehicles passed a third vehicle. After passing, the man lost control of his ATV and crashed into a light pole after leaving the road. Both the driver and a passenger were ejected, and the driver was killed. His passenger survived the accident with minor injuries.

Hopefully, this trend will not keep up for all of February. Unfortunately, car accidents happen much too often, and it becomes increasingly important during winter months to take caution and drive responsibly.

Source: The Edwardsville Intelligencer, "Accidents tie up interstate," Steve Horrell, Feb. 3, 2012