ST. LOUIS — A 5-year-old girl was killed in a crash on the Poplar Street Bridge early Monday morning.
The crash happened at 5:38 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Interstate 55 heading from St. Louis into St. Clair County, Illinois.
The driver, a 44-year-old woman from Texarkana, Texas, crashed the tractor trailer she was driving into the center concrete median, Illinois State Police said Monday afternoon.
The truck was hauling a large piece of aluminum that weighed about 34,000 pounds. When the truck crashed, the aluminum became unstrapped and slid into the back of the truck forcing the cabin to overturn, ISP said.
A 5-year-old girl was riding in the sleeper area of the truck. The force of the crash led her to be ejected, state police reported. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she died from her injuries.
A 15-year-old boy, 17-year-old boy and the driver all suffered minor injuries, ISP confirmed. The woman and children all are from Texarkana, Texas.
Illinois State Police are investigating what led to the crash.
The wreck led to lane closures and backups for several hours during the morning rush hour.