CENTRALIA, IL — A 45-year-old Centralia man was killed early Saturday morning when his vehicle struck the side of a train at the crossing on Shattuc Road. According to the Clinton County Coroner, Brian A. Starr was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:20 a.m.

The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office says it received a report around 1:17a.m.  of a train vs. vehicle crash on Shattuc Road at the intersection with Hugo Road. Upon their arrival deputies found a heavily damaged pickup truck alongside the tracks. A check of the truck revealed a deceased man inside that was later identified as Starr. Hoffman firefighters were dispatched to the crash scene as was Clinton County EMA who was dispatched for traffic control. Both Shattuc and Hugo roads closed for several hours for cleanup and crash reconstruction. The impact of the crash was apparently strong enough to knock the train off the tracks.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.