Failure to yield results in fatal Urbana wreck

A fatal car collision occurred at the intersection of University Avenue and McCullough Street in Urbana, The News-Gazette reported on December 11.

The front seat passenger of the car that was hit, 79-year-old Norma Jean Graham, died at Carle Foundation Hospital not long after the wreck. The two other car occupants, 43-year-old Richard and Glenda Hall of Mahomet, were both treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.

No injuries were reported for the driver of the other vehicle, 28-year-old Urbana resident Benjamin Applegate.

According to witnesses and reports from the authorities, Applegate and Hall were positioned at the intersection on opposite sides of University Avenue. Hall was preparing to turn left onto McCullough when the light switched to red; he began making the turn, anticipating that traffic would yield. Applegate’s pickup truck hit the passenger side of Hall’s vehicle, tragically resulting in Graham’s death.

Applegate was cited for failing to abide by a traffic light and driving with a suspended license, according to Lt. Joel Sanders of the Urbana police department.

The thoughts of everyone here at Spiros Law, P.C., go out to those affected by this devastating accident.