Motorcyclist killed in crash near Newton

NEWTON (MCT) — A Parkersburg man was killed Sunday when his motorcycle hit the back end of another motorcycle on Illinois 130.

Illinois State Police reported that at 5 p.m. Sunday, Kevin Sager, 54, of Parkersburg and Russell Tomblinson, 47, of Olney were traveling southbound on their motorcycles on Illinois 130, just south of Newton, when they both drifted into the center of the roadway in an attempt to pass a vehicle.

Due to oncoming traffic, both drivers were trying to move back into the southbound lane without passing the vehicle when the motorcycle driven by Sager clipped the back end of the motorcycle driven by Tomblinson. Sager lost control of his motorcycle, which fell over, skidded across the northbound lane of Illinois 130 and landed in the ditch east of the highway.

Sager was taken to Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney where he was pronounced dead by emergency personnel. Tomblinson was uninjured.

Neither cyclist was wearing a helmet.