DE SOTO, Ill. -- One person was sent to the hospital and later cited for a DUI after they reportedly crashed in a sinkhole in Jackson County.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a crash along Highway 51 on Sunday evening at around 6 p.m.
The sheriff's office on Sunday confirmed the driver crashed into the area where a sinkhole formed several days ago near De Soto.
In a press release on Monday, the sheriff's office said the driver is Melbourne Presswood, 76 from Flower Mound, Texas. Presswood is alleged to have drove south on Highway 51, hit a road closure sign, ran through the barricades and then hit the sinkhole and overturned.
Presswood was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash, the sheriff's office said. Presswood was taken to a hospital in Carbondale.
The sheriff's office also reported Presswood was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and DUI.
Assisting Jackson County Sheriff's Office at the scene of the crash was the Illinois Department of Transportation, Jackson County Ambulance Service, De Soto Fire Department and Shelton's Towing.
News 3 previously reported a sinkhole forming along Highway 51, just north of De Soto on Thursday. A section of highway surrounding this sinkhole was reportedly closed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to all traffic on Friday morning. IDOT also then said an assessment of the damage will take place the following week.
A detour was put in place to direct traffic around the closed section.
