Two men died in a crash Sunday night after a driver attempted merging from the shoulder of I-80 near Morris in Grundy County.
Brandon E. Heard, of River Grove, was driving a semitrailer near Brisbin Road about 11:50 p.m. when he rear-ended a Jeep pulling into traffic from the shoulder, according to a statement from Illinois state police.
Heard, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
A passenger of the Jeep, 25-year-old Jesses M. Smith of Morris, also died after being airlifted to a hospital, according to state police. The 20-year-old driver of Jeep suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Westbound lanes of I-80 were shut down until 2:05 p.m., state police said.
The crash remains under investigation by state police.
