-      Injured athlete unable to compete at State -

An Ashkum man faces a drunken driving charge after a two-vehicle crash on I-57 in Kankakee County.

Wednesday’s accident injured a coach and a student-athlete.  The 17-year-old student was to compete in the State Track & Field Finals at EIU in Charleston, but her injuries would not allow it.

31-year-old Rodney Hatch was arrested by Illinois State Police.  The crash happened Wednesday when Hatch’s southbound car hit the rear of a car driven by 30-year-old Zachary Kirkland of Kankakee. The collision caused Kirkland’s car to spin out of control and roll several times. 

Kirkland and his passenger, a 17-year-old female athlete from St. Anne High School, were treated for non-life threatening injuries at a local hospital.

 Mia Smith is a senior high-jumper at St. Anne.  She was to compete in the State Finals today (Thurs) at Eastern Illinois University.  But her injuries did not allow that to happen.  Zach Kirkland is one of her coaches.

Otto Township Fire, Kankakee Township Fire, and Riverside EMS assisted at the scene just before 8:30 pm Wednesday.

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