Rosemary Henrichs of Red Bud is the woman who died in the two-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon on Route 159 on the north end of Hecker. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:46 p.m. by a St. Clair County deputy coroner.

According to the initial police report, Henrichs, 78, was driving a 2007 Chevy Impala northbound on Rt. 159. An unidentified vehicle that had been traveling northbound on Route 159, in front of Henrichs, had stopped to turn left onto Club Congress Road. According to a witness, Henrichs appeared to suddenly notice the vehicle stopped in front of her. She lost control of the car and it went off of the roadway to the right and struck a guardrail. The Impala then went back onto and then across the highway to the left into the southbound lane of traffic. At this point, Henrichs' vehicle collided with a 2008 Jeep Wrangler driven by Michael Gibson, 20, of Havana, Illinois. Gibson was not injured.

The scene of the fatal accident in Hecker today along Route 159.        – photo by Bob Haentzler

 

Eight People Displaced When Apartment Burns In Columbia

The American Red Cross just arrived on the scene of an apartment fire which occurred at 1 p.m. today at the intersection of Voges and North Main, behind Reifschneider’s Grill and Grape. Eight people are reported being displaced due to fire and smoke damage to their residences. The structure, owned by Floyd Crowder, was heavily damaged by the blaze. Firefighters from Columbia, Millstadt, Camp Jackson and Dupo were called to the scene to assist. The cause of the fire has not yet been released.

Columbia sprayed water from their 100-ft. ladder truck to help put out the fire.

Smoke billows from the roof of one of the units of an apartment complex which caught on fire earlier today.      – photo by Bob Haentzler