Serious injury crash on I-255
An ARCH medical helicopter airlifted one patient to a St. Louis hospital for serious injuries sustained in a Thursday morning crash on southbound I-255 near mile marker 6.4 in Columbia.
Columbia police, fire and EMS responded to the scene as well as Illinois State Police. Dupo Fire & EMS also assisted at the scene.
The crash was reported shortly after 6:10 a.m. The vehicles involved were a black pickup truck and a black car.
All southbound lanes were shut down for the helicopter to land on the interstate. Shortly after 7 a.m., a right lane was reopened.
ISP said it was a rear-end collision and there were two injuries, with one person airlifted.
A fire official said the car was stalled in the left lane on a curve with the female driver still inside when it was struck from behind by the truck, which then veered off the road and traveled down a steep embankment on the right.
The woman was airlifted and the male driver of the truck was transported to an area hospital by ambulance, the fire official said.