A crash on interstate 57 in Williamson County claims the life of a Branson, Missouri woman Saturday evening.

It happened around 7:40 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-57 at milepost 54.

Illinois State Police say 29-year-old Tesse Carman of Forsyth, Missouri tried to make a U-turn in the median and pulled out into the southbound lanes in front of another vehicle driven by 18-year-old Lucien Charland of Engleside, Illinois.

Carman received only minor injuries when Charland's vehicle hit the car.

A passenger in the Carman car, 23-year-old April Czekala of Branson was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt and was killed in the collision.

The passenger in the Charland vehicle, 71-year-old Lucien Charland, sustained major injuries and was taken to a St. Louis hospital.

Carman was cited for disobeying a traffic control device.

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MARION, IL (KFVS) - Southern Illinois has been awarded over $17 million for disaster assistance due to spring flooding and storm damage.

August 8 marked the final day for individuals to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to return disaster loan applications to the U.S.

Senator Dick Durbin made a stop in Southern Illinois Thursday morning to talk about his perspective on what's happening in Washington.

Durbin had a lot to say about the nation's situation in dealing with the economy. He spoke to business and community leaders Thursday morning at John A. Logan College.

The senator says in order to get the nation back on sound financial footing, everything must be on the table for discussion. Durbin says tax hikes, entitlement reform, and spending cuts must all be considered.

The senator said a lot will depend on how Congress reacts in the coming weeks and months in the wake of the US credit rating downgrade.