Indiana Woman Identified as Victim in Fatal Wilmington-Peotone Road Crash

August 2, 2025/

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The Will County Coroner’s Office has officially identified the woman killed in Tuesday’s fatal crash on Wilmington-Peotone Road as 70-year-old Judith L. Stirm of Delphi, Indiana.

In a statement, Coroner Laurie H. Summers reported that Stirm was pronounced deceased at 12:42 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at the scene of the crash, located just west of South Elevator Road.

The initial crash occurred around 10:45 a.m. when the passenger vehicle Stirm was driving collided head-on with a semi-truck. According to the Manhattan Fire Protection District, the car sustained heavy damage, and crews had to perform an extrication to free her from the vehicle.

The situation on the rural road escalated less than two hours later. At approximately 12:35 p.m., a second major accident occurred nearby, involving a semi-truck hauling a propane tanker that had crashed and was leaking. Fire crews successfully stopped the leak and rescued that driver, who was transported for medical care.

The Will County Sheriff’s Police are leading the investigation into the crash that resulted in Ms. Stirm’s death. The Coroner’s Office confirmed that an autopsy was performed on Wednesday, July 30. A final cause and manner of death will be determined following the completion of autopsy, police, and toxicology reports.

The two severe accidents prompted a massive response from multiple fire districts and law enforcement agencies, forcing the complete closure of Wilmington-Peotone Road for several hours on Tuesday for investigation and cleanup operations.

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