11 injured in crash into corrections van

Everyone knows driving while operating a cell phone is more dangerous than driving with both hands on the wheel.

Cell phone use by a Wingo, Ky., man is being blamed by Illinois State Police for a dramatic crash Wednesday in Pope County in which he collided with an Illinois Department of Corrections van full of inmates and caused a flagger to leap out of the way, injuring himself.

At 12:27 p.m. Brian T. Doll, 49, Wingo, Ky., was driving west on state Route 146 1/2 mile east of Homberg Road when it crashed into the IDOC van that was stopped by a flagger in a construction zone, according to a release by Illinois State Police District District 22 in Ullin.

The van was driven by Charles R. Borum, 34, Harrisburg, and contained eight IDOC inmates as passengers.

The IDOT flagger was not struck, but sustained a minor injury while avoiding the vehicles. All involved were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Doll was charged with using an electronic communication device while driving and failing to stop for a flagger in a construction area. Cell phone use while driving is not prohibited in Kentucky.