Tollway Worker Killed, State Trooper Injured While Assisting Disabled Car on I-88

By Amie Schaenzer:

An Illinois tollway maintenance worker was killed Monday night when a semi truck ran into his vehicle while he was assisting a disabled semitrailer truck along Interstate 88 near North Eola Road in Aurora Monday night, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Vincent Petrella, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene, and an Illinois State Trooper, who was also assisting the disabled vehicle, was taken to an area hospital for treatment of serious injuries, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

The fiery crash occurred at 9:45 p.m. Monday on eastbound I-88 and closed the eastbound lanes and one westbound lane in that area while paramedics and firefighters were on scene, according to the Daily Herald.

Petrella had been an equipment laborer with the Illinois Tollway since 2005, said   Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur in a statement released early Tuesday. He started his career with Illinois Tollway as a toll collector. 

He had two children and was described as hard-working and a "family man" who was committed to doing his best each day to serve Tollway customers, according to the Illinois Tollway statement. 

"On behalf of the Tollway Board and the entire Illinois Tollway, we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our own, Illinois Tollway roadway maintenance worker Vincent Petrella," Lafleur said. 

The crash occurred on what should have been a routine job.

"Our roadway maintenance workers are on our roadways 24/7 to serve customers across our 286-mile system of tollways. They plow snow, maintain our roadways and, most importantly, are the first on the scene to help drivers in need," Lafleur said.

Read more on the Chicago Tribune.