PEQUOT LAKES — Two Pequot Lakes sisters died Saturday, March 19, after a pickup truck struck the utility terrain vehicle they were riding in Tazewell County, Illinois.
The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office responded to the crash reported about 4:50 p.m. south of Tremont in central Illinois.
According to the Peoria Journal Star , Sheriff Jeff Lower said two people died and six people suffered injuries in the crash at Townline and Locust roads, about 4 miles south of Tremont. A truck was headed west on Townline and the UTV was southbound on Locust when they collided.
On Monday evening, the Tazewell County Coroner's Office identified the two victims as 22-year-old Ashley Embree and 16-year-old Sarae Embree, both of Pequot Lakes. Both died of multiple blunt force injuries due to the collision. The woman and girl were passengers in the UTV.
The Journal Star reported the Embree family was in town visiting relatives.
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It appeared the people on the UTV were headed home, which was near the crash location, Lower said.
"At first glance, it appears the UTV ran the stop sign, but until further investigation, we have no solid evidence yet," Lower told the Journal Star. "Everyone in this UTV was related, from what we understand, and we are trying to respect the family's time to grieve."
A total of seven people were in the UTV, including the two people who died. The male driver of the pickup truck was also injured, the sheriff said. Four people — three from the UTV and the truck driver — were transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois.
Further information, including the names of the other people involved in the crash, were not available Tuesday morning.
The crash remains under investigation by the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police and the Tazewell County Coroner’s Office.
A GoFundMe to help the family cover funeral costs can be found at gofund.me/b6d31aa4 .
