Briefly

9/7/2008

House explosion kills 2 in Chicago suburb

FRANKFORT, Ill. -- An explosion destroyed a house early Saturday and the bodies of the elderly couple who occupied the home were found in the wreckage, authorities said. Seven other homes were destroyed.

The cause of the explosion was under investigation, said Richard Caragol, a Nicor natural gas company spokesman. Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil identified the dead couple as Clyde and Luella Reils, Frankfort.

Abilene woman hurt in Herington collision

An Abilene woman was taken to Herington Municipal Hospital Friday after three vehicles collided three miles north of Herington.

A hospital representative said no information could be released on the condition of Amanda R. Wells, 18. According to a Kansas Highway Patrol report, Wells' car was northbound on U77 at 8:35 p.m. when it struck the rear of a pickup truck driven by Krista K. Giffen, 29, Herington, which was stopped waiting to make a left turn onto Kansas Highway 4. The impact pushed the truck into a southbound pickup truck driven by Robert A. Bernatis, 59, Soldier. He and his passenger, Terry B. Bernatis, 59, Soldier, were listed as possibly injured.

The report stated that Giffen's truck left the scene of the accident.



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