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2nd person dies following head-on collision in North Peoria

A police car's lights, which are on. The text "WCBU Police and Fire" are laid on top of that photo.
WCBU file photo
Updated: March 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM CDT
The Peoria County Coroner said a second person died in the crash on Friday morning.

Authorities said a second person has died following after a head-on collision of two vehicles late Thursday on North Allen Road and West Altorfer Drive in Peoria, while two others were injured, including an infant.

Peoria firefighter and paramedic crews responded to the scene at 9:19 p.m. Thursday and found a mid-sized sedan and an SUV had collided in the southbound lane of Allen Road at the intersection of Altorfer Drive.

The sedan spun off the road with three passengers inside, and the SUV with one passenger was still in the southbound lane. Both vehicles sustained major front-end damage.

The driver of the sedan was deceased when first responders arrived, said authorities, and another passenger in the rear was extricated by the “jaws of life” hydraulic cutters within five minutes, and suffered critical injuries. The infant was already retrieved by bystanders through a window when crews arrived.

Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said the driver of the sedan, Donaciano Jimenez Hernandez, 21, of Peoria, was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:03 p.m. Thursday. A front-seat passenger in that vehicle, Maria Del Rosario Cortes Salinas, 25, of Peoria, was pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Both died of multiple injuries and were wearing seat belts.

The driver of the SUV was pulled from the vehicle by firefighter personnel with critical injuries and transported to a local trauma center, along with the infant who had minor injuries, said authorities.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Ben Howell is a graduate assistant at WGLT. He joined the station in 2024.