LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
WOODYARD – More details surrounding a two-vehicle collision are beginning to emerge, including the identity of a man who passed away from injuries sustained in the crash. According to a press release from Champaign County Coroner Stephen Thuny, Oakwood resident Carl Goulding, 63, passed away Monday, July 22 in Carle Foundation Hospital’s Critical Care Unit. Goulding’s death was attributed to “multiple blunt force injuries” sustained during the accident, which occurred 12 days earlier on July 10. No autopsy was performed, but Goulding’s death is still under investigation according to Thuney.
State troopers responded to the scene of the accident at approximately 3:46 p.m. per a report from Illinois State Police (ISP) Patrol Troop 7. According to preliminary information outlined in the report, Goulding was a passenger in a red 2001 Ford Ranger. The Ranger, driven by 59-year-old Michael Owen of Danville, was traveling north on State Route 1 behind a gray Jeep. Karlee Tinder, 28, of Ridge Farm, was behind the wheel of the forward vehicle.
Tinder began to slow down and attempted to turn left near the intersection of State Route 1 and 2700th North. As Tinder began to turn, Owen attempted to pass on her left side in a no-pass zone.
Tinder’s vehicle hit the rear of Owen’s truck, causing the latter “to spin then rollover several times” according to the report.
Goulding and Owen were both transported from the scene with “life-threatening injuries,” while Tinder was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. In a previous article, The Prairie Press reported two occupants were transported for medical care and were in stable condition based on communications between dispatchers and EMS personnel on the scene. At the time, Goulding’s involvement in the accident and his condition were unknown.
Owen was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane usage, passing in a no-passing zone and failure to wear a seatbelt. He will appear in the Edgar County Courthouse Thursday, Aug. 15 at 9 a.m.
Additionally, Goulding was cited for Failure to Wear a Seatbelt and Tinder was ticketed for Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle
The accident is the latest in a string of fatal collisions that have taken place across Edgar County and its neighboring communities this year. The high volume of wrecks is leading the ISP to increase its patrol presence in the area, with hopes of cracking down on irresponsible drivers.
“We are noticing an increase in serious crashes along state and US routes within the nine counties (ISP) Troop 7 covers,” Trooper Josh Robinson told a Prairie Press reporter in a statement. “As a result of this data, Troop 7 is conducting directed patrols focused on Fatal 4 violations throughout the Troop, including Edgar County.”
The statement also noted that ISP Troop 7 “partners with local and county law enforcement, and other ISP resources, to increase traffic safety through strategic enforcement and education” whenever possible.
This is an evolving story. The Prairie Press will provide additional updates as they become available. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.