A recent St. Clair County auto accident left three people seriously injured. The crash happened south of Mascoutah on Route 4 near Jefferson at approximately 9:45 a.m.
Two men—Shea Seipp and Anthony McGowan, both 30 and from New Baden—were traveling southbound in Seipp's Chevrolet Impala. Seipp suddenly swerved to the right of the roadway, overcorrected back to the left and then crashed nearly head-on with a northbound Buick LeSabre. The Buick was being driven by Dorothy Hargis, 77, of Sparta.
Witnesses to the accident say that Hargis was covered in wreckage and had to be cut out of her car. Seipp was unresponsive in his vehicle, while McGowan—who was not wearing a seat belt—was thrown into the highway. “It was horrid, the horror of two cars colliding,” said Wayne Bettis, a man who lives near the crash scene. “I come out of the house and find someone laying in the middle of the highway. It was a pretty nasty accident.”
All three victims were flown to a hospital in St. Louis with life-threatening injuries. The most recent update on their condition was that Seipp and Hargis remain in critical condition, while McGowan has been updated to stable condition.
One witness said she smelled alcohol on the two men and police confirm that they did find an open container in the vehicle. The Illinois State Police say the crash is still under investigation and it is still unclear whether any tickets or charges will be filed.
