St. Charles man ticketed in fatal I-55 crash

A Kane County man was ticketed in a fatal three-car accident on Interstate 55 near Minooka, Illinois State Police officials said Monday.

According to Trooper DeAnn Falat, a Ford Mustang and a Toyota Camry were southbound on Interstate 55 near Route 59 at 6:58 a.m. Saturday when the Mustang rear-ended the Camry causing both vehicles to spin out and stop in the left lane. Darren Wade, 44, of Peoria, the driver of the Mustang, remained in his car after the crash while Yuanbang Lin, 61, of Chicago, and two male passengers, ages 62 and 63, exited the Camry to inspect the damage, Falat said.

Moments after the initial crash, Falat said, a second Toyota Camry driven by Joshua Bickel, 28, of St. Charles, was traveling south on Interstate 55 and slammed into the rear of the stopped Mustang.

After impact, the Mustang with Wade still inside was forced forward and hit the three males subjects standing outside their vehicle from the first crash, Falat said.

The Will County Coroner's Office was called to the scene and Wade was pronounced dead, Falat said.

The three men outside the first Camry were transported to area hospitals for treatment, Falat said, and their conditions are unknown.

Bickel refused medical treatment at the scene. He was issued citations for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, Falat said.

The crash remains under investigation, Falat said.