COLLINSVILLE — The Madison County Coroner Nick Novacich identified a 26-year-old man from St. Louis, who died early Thursday after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 55 in Collinsville. The Madison County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Devin C. Smart.
The coroner said the incident occurred shortly before midnight on Jan. 1, 2025, when Smart exited his vehicle and entered the southbound lanes of the interstate. He was hit by an oncoming tractor-trailer. Madison County Coroner’s Office Investigator Kelsey Jones pronounced Smart dead at the scene at 12:14 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.
Emergency services received a report of the crash at 11:11 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. The accident took place near the 8.2-mile marker of Interstate 55.
Coroner Novacich said preliminary findings indicate that Smart died from blunt neck trauma, though a final cause of death will be determined following routine toxicology tests.
The Illinois State Police and the Madison County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. No further details are available at this time.
