McLean County Coroner ID’s ISU student involved in Monday night car crash

Posted on December 1, 2021

police car — *The accident remains under investigation by the Normal Police Department, McLean County Coroner’s Office, and the McLean County Accident Reconstruction Team. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)*

By Blake Haas and HOI

NORMAL – McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder has identified an Illinois State University graduate student who died during a car accident near ISU’s campus Monday evening.

According to a news release, Daniell Fairchild, 23, of Normal, was hit on West College Avenue, near Kingsley Junior High School and Redbird Arena.

Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner said Fairchild was pronounced dead Tuesday at about 4:15 p.m. at Carle BroMenn Medical Center.

Authorities say the 76-year old woman driving the car was cited for failure to stop and yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crosswalk.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Fairchild died from a brain injury due to being struck by the car.

In a news release to the student body on Wednesday, ISU President Dr. Terri Goss Kenzy said Fairchild was a First-year graduate student in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS).

“We are heartbroken at the sudden and tragic loss of Danielle,” noted Dr. Marla Reese-Weber, interim chair of FCS.

The accident remains under investigation by the Normal Police Department, McLean County Coroner’s Office, and the McLean County Accident Reconstruction Team.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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