A 1 year old from Fairfield has died following a traffic crash outside of Fairfield Thursday. Illinois State Police say the tragedy happened just after 1:30 in the afternoon on Highway 15 in the eastbound lane near County Road 2450. The preliminary investigation reveals an ’08 Dodge Charger driven by 24 year old Porscha Schultz of Fairfield had pulled over on the shoulder at a mail box. Shultz then pulled back onto the roadway and was struck from behind by a 2015 Semi Tractor driven by 29 year old Jordan Ambrous of Carmi. Following the crash, Shultz and front seat passenger, 24 year old Alissa Crum of Altamont were life flighted to a medical facility with life threatening injuries. Sadly, the 1 year old youngster in the backseat was pronounced dead at the scene by the Wayne County Coroner. Ambrous was uninjured and cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident. The road was closed until a little after 7pm last night. State officials say the investigation is ongoing.
