TRILLA — Four people were killed in a small plane crash Saturday morning along the Coles-Cumberland county line, Coles County Coroner Ed Schniers has confirmed.
Reports of the crash along East County Road 000 North between U.S. 45 and Trilla, about nine miles south of Mattoon, came in around 10:15 a.m., according to Illinois State Police.
The plane was in the roadway, the agency said, and traffic will continue to be diverted from the area until at least Sunday, the Coles County Sheriff's Office said Saturday evening.
"This in an active and ongoing fatal aircraft investigation," state police said in a news release.
The sheriff's office said the Federal Aviation Administration has been on the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive Sunday.
The FAA also confirmed that four people had been on the plane, and that NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.
Trilla resident Curt Goldstein said he was driving home on County Road 1400N Saturday morning when he encountered the crash scene, and was shocked when he saw an airplane wing and realized it was an airplane in the roadway.
"The road was impassable. You couldn't get through it," Goldstein said, adding that the plane had struck power lines as it hit the ground. "The airplane was just shattered."
Goldstein said he saw the remains of two fatalities of the airplane crash and later was told two others on the plane lost their lives. He said his mother, who lives nearby, heard a sputtering sound before the impact of the crash.
The crash also caused power outages in nearby Trilla. About 80 customers were without power for several hours Saturday, according to Ameren Illinois, but power was restored by early Saturday evening.
Gov. JB Pritzker reacted to the crash on his Facebook page, stating, "Terrible news out of Coles County. My administration is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today. Thank you to the first responders who rushed to the scene. Please follow the guidance of officials as they provide assistance."
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