Two dead, one injured in crash near Creal Springs

CREAL SPRINGS - A traffic crash in rural Williamson County on Wednesday has left two people dead and another seriously injured.

According to Illinois State Police, Casey Odum, 54, of Creal Springs, was driving his 2008 Chevrolet 1500 pickup northbound on Illinois Route 166 about a half mile south of Creal Springs when he crossed the centerline, striking a 2010 Toyota sedan driven by 79-year-old Orson K. Kramer of Ozark. Kramer and his passenger and wife, 81-year-old Judith A. Kramer, were both fatally injured.

The pair were pronounced dead at the scene by Williamson County Coroner Mike "Junior" Burke.

Odum was airlifted to a regional hospital with severe injuries. The crash, which occurred around 11:20 a.m., closed the highway for several hours. It remains under investigation by the Williamson County Coroner's Office and the ISP.