Family members of the Hoopeston Area High School student who was killed in a pickup truck-semi tractor trailer collision west of Hoopeston early Thursday morning identified him as 17-year-old Michael "Mikey" Symmonds
of Rankin.

Illinois State Police report said Mr. Symmonds was a passenger in a 1996
Chevrolet pickup, driven by 16-year-old Dillon Eighner of Rankin, also a student at Hoopeston Area.

Eighner was driving east on Illinois 9, according to the report. About .32
miles east of County Road 1300 East, Eighner crossed the center line,
drove to the north side of the road, got back onto the road, but skidded
out of control.

He then spun into the westbound lane and was struck by an oncoming 2005
Peterbilt semi, driven by 71-year-old Emmett Fishel of Clayton, Ind. Fishel, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured.

According to the report, both teens were wearing seat belts and had to be
extricated from the truck.

Eighner was taken to Hoopeston Community Memorial Hospital, then airlifted
to Carle Hospital in Urbana. His condition was not available.

Eighner was issued a citation for improper lane usage.

"It's been a difficult morning," said Hank Hornbeck, Hoopeston schools
superintendent.

Hornbeck said some students already had learned about the accident before school began. Administrators and counselors let other students and staff know as they arrived at school.

He said district social workers, counselors from Hoopeston Community
Memorial Hospital and the Hoopeston Ministerial Association would be at
the high school and middle school building to provide grief counseling for
any of the 600 students and 60 staff.