PONTOON BEACH, Ill. – A man is dead and a police officer is in the hospital following a crash on Route 111 Thursday morning.
The man has been identified as 33-year-old Daniel Bell of South Roxana. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Around 8:25 a.m. a pickup was traveling southbound on Route 111 and swerved into the northbound lane when a Pontoon Beach police officer was traveling northbound.
As a result of the head-on crash, the pickup truck became fully engulfed in flames.
It’s unclear why the pickup truck swerved into the northbound lane. Officials believe distracted driving might have played a role to the crash. Investigators recovered a cell phone from the scene.
A Pontoon Beach police officer was transported to a hospital by Arch helicopter and is listed in serious condition. According to Trooper Dye, the police officer has been with the Pontoon Beach Police Department for one year. He has not been identified.