BELLEVILLE, IL – August 18, 2026 (STL.News) Two people died following separate crashes in Belleville on Monday morning, including an East St. Louis man killed after a collision that also sent a juvenile and another driver to area hospitals.
The crashes occurred only a few hours apart on Aug. 17, and the Belleville Police Department is investigating. The first involved a two-vehicle collision at Old St. Louis Road and Westfield Plaza Drive, while the second happened at South Illinois Street and South Belt.
The first crash occurred at approximately 6:10 a.m., according to Belleville police. Officers responding to Old St. Louis Road and Westfield Plaza Drive found a serious two-vehicle collision.
Police said both drivers and a juvenile passenger were transported to area hospitals with serious injuries. One of the drivers later died.
The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office identified the man who died as 44-year-old Jerome Tilmon of East St. Louis. Tilmon was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital Belleville following the collision.
The conditions of the other driver and juvenile passenger were not immediately available Tuesday.
Illinois State Police assisting with investigation
The Belleville Police Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the first crash with assistance from the Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what caused the vehicles to collide or whether speed, impairment, distraction or other factors are suspected. No information about possible citations or charges has been announced.
Police also have not released additional identifying information about the surviving driver or juvenile passenger.
Accident reconstruction investigations can require investigators to examine vehicle damage, roadway evidence, measurements and other information before reaching conclusions about how a collision occurred. The involvement of a reconstruction unit does not by itself indicate that criminal conduct occurred.
Belleville police said they would not release additional information at that time out of respect for Tilmon’s family.
Second fatal crash reported hours later
Belleville police were called to another serious crash approximately three hours later.
At about 9:04 a.m. Monday, officers responded to South Illinois Street and South Belt following a report of another two-vehicle collision, according to information released by the Belleville Police Department.
Officers transported three people involved in the crash to a hospital.
An 88-year-old woman who was a passenger in one of the vehicles later died from her injuries, according to police. Authorities had not publicly identified the woman in the information available Tuesday morning.
Police have not released details explaining what led to the second collision.
The two incidents are separate investigations, and authorities have not indicated that they were connected.
Two fatal crashes in about three hours
The timing made Monday an especially difficult morning for emergency personnel and the Belleville community.
The first collision was reported at approximately 6:10 a.m. The second occurred at approximately 9:04 a.m., meaning the two serious crashes happened less than three hours apart.
Combined, the preliminary information indicates that two people died and at least four other people were transported to hospitals following the two crashes.
In the Old St. Louis Road collision, three people — two drivers and a juvenile passenger — were hospitalized, with Tilmon subsequently dying from his injuries. In the South Illinois Street collision, three people were hospitalized, with the 88-year-old passenger later dying.
The crashes occurred at different intersections in Belleville and are being treated as separate incidents.
Investigation into Old St. Louis Road crash continues
The Old St. Louis Road and Westfield Plaza Drive intersection is in western Belleville, near the city’s boundary with surrounding communities.
The Belleville Police Department maintains public calls-for-service information and records involving traffic accidents. The department also provides access to crash reports after they clear its approval process. According to the city’s records, reports can take at least 10 working days to complete the approval process.
That means more information about Monday’s crashes could become available as investigators complete their work.
For now, several important questions remain unanswered, including the direction each vehicle was traveling, the sequence of events immediately before the crashes, and whether investigators have identified any contributing factors.
Authorities have not announced charges in connection with either collision.
Belleville police continue investigations
Belleville police have asked for patience as the investigations continue.
The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit’s involvement in the Old St. Louis Road crash could help investigators establish a more detailed sequence of events. Investigators may release additional findings once their work is completed.
The identities and updated conditions of the surviving people involved in the crashes had not been publicly released as of Tuesday morning.
The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office has confirmed Tilmon’s identity in the first crash. Authorities had not released the identity of the 88-year-old woman who died following the second collision in the latest information available.
STL.News will update this report if Belleville police, Illinois State Police or the St. Clair County Coroner’s Office release additional information about either investigation.
Sources: Belleville Police Department, St. Clair County Coroner’s Office and local reports based on information released by authorities.
