A mother and her two young children were killed in an accident on I-55 early Friday morning near Litchfield. According to Illinois State Police, two other children and the father are still hospitalized. The accident occurred at 5:20 am, two miles south of Litchfield on northbound Interstate 55. According to investigators, a Chevy Impala carrying 6 people — 2 adults in the front seats and 4 children in the back — stopped or went very slowly on the interstate for an unknown reason. A white cargo van then slammed into the back of the Impala.
The mother and two children were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as Alea Shannon, 27, and her sons Alfredo McGee Jr, 8, and Armondo McGee, 2. Two other children were hurt and transported to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. Annastashia, 6, was listed in critical condition and Alicea, 5, was in stable condition. The father, Alfredo McGee, 31, was driving the vehicle and he was flown to a hospital in Springfield and listed in stable condition.
The family had only recently moved to East St. Louis from Decatur. According to police, the driver of the van was unharmed. Investigators are still trying to find out why the Impala stopped or was driving too slowly on the interstate. Testing will be done on McGee, the driver of the Impala, to see if he was impaired.