At about 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26th, a man suffered injuries after getting hit by a car in the south of Champaign, Illinois. The Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said that 20-year-old Jeffery Hesselbein, a student at the University of Illinois, was running with another person when the collision happened.   

The accident report disclosed that the crash took place on the west lane of Curtis Road between First and Race streets. The sheriff said that Qiong Wang, 55, was driving west when he struck Hesselbein. The man said he did not see the runners.

Medics took Hesselbein to Carle Foundation Hospital to treat non-life-threatening injuries. Heuerman said the victim and his companion were not wearing reflective clothing, and they did not issue Wang any citation.

The sheriff advised runners and drivers to be more vigilant. He noted that Curtis Road is popular with runners and bicyclists, and it is dangerous because there are no sidewalks or designated bike lanes. The speed limit is also at 55 miles per hour instead of the 30 to 35 miles per hour obtainable in the cities.

Heuerman said that drivers and pedestrians have less time to react to unexpected situations, and the danger increases after sunset because there are no streetlights. He urged motorists to prepare for unforeseen obstacles on the road, and runners to wear clothes with reflective materials at dusk or after dawn, especially on rural roads.

The sheriff added that bicyclists should have a front light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet and a rear reflector visible for up to 600 feet when riding at night. The latter is a requirement of law.

Disclaimer: The Accident News article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.

The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Accident News’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.

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