CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The Champaign County Coroner’s Office has identified the construction worker killed in an overnight crash on Interstate 74 in Champaign as 65-year-old Steven A. Cornett of Danville.
Coroner Laurie Brauer said Cornett was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m. at the scene of the crash, which occurred in an active construction zone on eastbound I-74 near the southbound exit to Interstate 57.
Preliminary findings indicate Cornett died from blunt force injuries after being struck by a vehicle while working on the roadway. An autopsy has been scheduled.
According to Illinois State Police, troopers were called to the scene around 3:35 a.m. after reports of a crash involving a construction worker. Investigators said a pickup truck pulling a trailer struck the worker inside the work zone.
The crash shut down eastbound I-74 in the area for several hours, with traffic diverted onto southbound I-57. Drivers were urged to use alternate routes, including Curtis Road and the Market Street exit, to access Champaign while delays continued.
State Police and the Champaign County Coroner’s Office are continuing to investigate the incident.