MARION, IL — A crash involving an Illinois State Police trooper and a motorcycle happened around 7:50 Thursday night on North Russell Street south of West Deyoung Street in Marion. According to ISP, an ISP trooper had the right of way and was traveling eastbound on West Deyoung Street as a motorcycle traveling on North Russell came to a stop at the red light and continued to proceed through it.

The trooper entered the intersection of North Russell south of West Deyoung and the trooper’s squad car struck the motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle, 53-year-old Roger Dale Jones Jr. of Marion, was airlifted to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries. The trooper, a three-year veteran of the department, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was later treated and released. The trooper’s name was not released. The intersection of North Russell south of West Deyoung was closed following the crash for traffic crash investigation. All lanes were closed at 10:30 p.m. for the traffic crash reconstruction and reopened at 11:30 p.m.

No other information was made available.