MENDOTA- A pair of separate crashes injured two on Tuesday morning around Mendota. The Mendota and Troy Grove Fire Departments were first called around 9 AM to the area of 251 and north 40th road for a van that had rolled over. The driver was taken to an area hospital. Less than an hour later they, along with MABAS 25, were called to northbound I-39 near mile-marker 77 for a semi-tractor trailer pulling a tanker that left the roadway and crashed into a creek. During the incident the tanker, which was carrying agricultural fertilizer, broke free and crushed part of the cab, pinning the driver in place. According to Mendota Fire Chief Dennis Rutishauser, the driver suffered serious injuries and was life flighted from the scene to Rockford. During the crash, diesel fuel from the truck leaked into the creek, and many area departments were involved in trying to contain the spill. The cause of both crashes remain under investigation by the Illinois State Police.
