A cross-country trip for nearly a dozen men from the Philadelphia area ended in tragedy on Monday after a crash left five of them dead and several others injured.
Investigators say 11 men were inside a white 2002 Dodge van traveling from Ontario, Calif. to Philadelphia. The group had attended a retreat in Ontario and was returning home on Monday.
Police say the van, which had Maryland license plates, was traveling eastbound on I-70 near Vandalia, Illinois, about 70 miles east of St. Louis, around 9:45 a.m. Somehow, it left the south side of the roadway, rolled a number of times and ejected all but two of the passengers before finally coming to a rest. Police say five men were killed in the crash and six other people were taken to an area hospital.
Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen identified the victims as 54-year-old Emerson Baldwin, 53-year-old Andrew Canada, 42-year-old Antonie Mitchell, 52-year-old Mark William and 29-year-old Thomas Coleman. All five victims were from Baltimore, Md., according to Bowen.
Bowen called the scene of the crash among the worst he had seen in 13 years as a coroner.
“It was a total disaster,” he said. “There were just bodies everywhere.”
Police said conditions were dry and clear when the van crashed.
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The driver, who survived, has been ticketed for improper lane usage and driving with a suspended license, according to officials. His name is being withheld as part of the investigation, which could take weeks, according to police.
