A woman and two children are dead following a three-vehicle collision in Southern Illinois Thursday morning.
Illinois State Police say the crash on U.S. 45, south of Rt. 169 occurred at 6:23 a.m.
According to a preliminary crash report, 23-year-old Rachel Killian of Marion, Illinois, was driving north with four children in the vehicle: a one-year-old male, two three-year-old females and a nine-month-old male. Her vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway. She she overcorrected and crossed into the southbound lane.
Drivers of two other vehicles: 57-year-old Karla Reichert of Karnak, Illinois, and 62-year-old Cathy Ulen of Ullin, Illinois, were traveling south.
Killian collided with Reichert and Ulen subsequently collided with Reichert.
The Massac County coroner pronounced Killian and the one-year-old passenger dead at the scene. The three other passengers in her vehicle were transported to Western Baptist Hospital with serious injuries. A three-year-old died from her injuries at the hospital.
Reichert was transported to an out-of-state hospital with severe injuries.
All lanes of U.S. 45 were closed for 3.5 hours for a crash investigation and cleanup. The investigation continues.