Pictured is the Ford Focus that was involved in a fatal Friday night crash near New Athens.

A 24-year-old New Athens woman died in a two-car crash on Route 156 just east of Geo Leilich Road near New Athens in St. Clair County on Friday night.

The woman, identified as Brandy Contratto, was traveling west on Route 156 in a Pontiac Grand Am at about 9:50 p.m., Illinois State Police said, when it appeared that her car slid on a snow-covered patch of roadway and turned sideways partially into the eastbound lane. An eastbound Ford Focus driven by Sarah Jones, 20, of Waterloo, t-boned the Grand Am.

“The snow-covered roadway had to contribute to the crash,” ISP Trooper Calvin Dye Jr. told the Republic-Times.

Contratto was pronounced dead at the scene. Jones was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.

ISP was assisted by emergency agencies from New Athens, Freeburg and Marissa as well as the St. Clair County coroner’s office.

Brandy Contratto

Route 156 was closed in the area of the crash until about 2 a.m. Saturday, Dye said.

Contratto was a popular waitress and bartender at the Bullpen Bar & Grill in New Athens, according to her obituary. She was a recent graduate of SIUE and was enrolled at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Visitation is set for 3 to 8 p.m. Monday and 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Agatha Catholic Church in New Athens. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon on Tuesday at the church.

To view the full obituary, click here.