Five Injured After Crash Near Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal

NORMAL, Ill. — Five people were injured Friday afternoon when a pickup truck crashed into the Children’s Discovery Museum in Uptown Normal.

Normal police officers were dispatched around 3:15 p.m. to the area of Uptown Circle for a report of a crash. On scene, officers and first responders from the Normal Fire Department rendered aid to those injured, including one pedestrian and four occupants of the vehicle.

Normal Police Sgt. Landon Richmond said the crash was reportedly caused by a medical incident, though the cause remains under investigation.

“There was a single-vehicle crash here in Uptown Circle. We have five people injured at this time. Everything is still under investigation,” Richmond said.

Some of those injured were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately available.

Witness Matthew Lijak said he was in his backyard near the Uptown Normal train station when he heard the crash.

“We heard tons of screeching and then a loud collision,” Lijak said.

After walking to the scene, Lijak said he saw a pickup truck that had crashed into the Children’s Discovery Museum.

“Walked by and we saw that there’s a truck crashing into the Children’s Museum,” Lijak said. “There’s another car on the scene, and I don’t know if it’s a part of the crash.”

Lijak said he hopes everyone involved recovers and believes the incident could prompt discussions about additional safety measures in the Uptown area.

“I hope everyone’s okay,” Lijak said. “Hopefully Uptown can learn from it and put in some new safety precautions, and hopefully everyone’s alright.”

Richmond said additional information will be released through the department’s official channels as it becomes available. The investigation remains ongoing.