Wheel Hub Falls Off Semi, Kills Driver In Joliet: State Police

JOLIET, IL - Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil announced on Tuesday night that the woman who was killed while traveling along Interstate 80 in Joliet was a resident of Coal City. O'Neil said that Melinda B. Cullen, 38, was driving westbound on I-80 when the tire rim from a semi tractor-trailer driving in the opposite direction, heading east, came off the truck. The tire rim went through the Coal City woman's windshield, causing her to crash near Rowell Avenue.

The Illinois State Police said the westbound crash occurred at 2:18 p.m. O'Neil said Cullen was rushed to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy is set for Wednesday and funeral arrangements are still pending, he said.

Melinda Cullen's Facebook page profile identified her as a mother, daughter, sister and wife, and noted that she had studied speech communication at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

"According to preliminary investigation, a truck tractor semi-trailer was traveling eastbound on I-80 near Rowell Avenue when its wheel hub came detached from it’s rear tractor axle. The wheel hub crossed over into the I-80 westbound lanes entering the windshield of a passenger car striking the female driver," the Illinois State Police revealed.

The woman in the car was rushed to a Joliet area hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The State Police have their crash reconstruction officers and the Illinois State Police commercial motor vehicle officers on the scene investigating Tuesday's fatality.

At about 5:30 p.m., State Police announced that all lanes had been cleared for traffic.

This is a developing story. Patch will bring you updates as more information becomes available.

Image via Joliet Patch