Effingham Prepares for Restaurant Week as Crash Raises Local Safety Questions
A two-vehicle collision in Summit Township at 4: 53 pm ET sent 77-year-old Betty Wise of Effingham to HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital after her car spun into a ditch and came to rest on its passenger side. The crash occurred as effingham’s dining calendar readies Restaurant Week, which runs April 13–19, 2026, linking a public-safety incident with a major local economic event.
Summit Township Crash Scene
Two cars collided at the intersection of 900th Street and 1350th Avenue at 4: 53 pm ET; one additional unit was sitting on the west side of the intersection at a stop sign. Rural Med EMS transported Betty Wise to HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital after her vehicle spun and was pushed into a ditch and came to rest on the passenger side. The pattern suggests intersection-turn conflicts and stopped-vehicle sight lines were central to what unfolded at that intersection.
Drivers Betty Wise and Matthew Jones
Effingham County Sheriff’s Office records state the Wise vehicle was traveling south on 900th Street attempting to turn east onto 1350th Avenue, while 54-year-old Matthew Jones of Effingham was headed northbound on 900th Street; Jones refused treatment. Wise told deputies she was watching the vehicle sitting at the intersection and did not see Jones’ vehicle when turning, and Wise was cited for failure to yield right of way at the intersection. The account suggests attention focused on the stopped vehicle likely obscured the approaching car and set the immediate cause for the collision.
Effingham Restaurant Week Details
Effingham’s Restaurant Week returns for its sixth year and runs April 13–19, 2026, showcasing special menus and limited-time dishes across a select lineup of locally owned restaurants; the town counts more than 70 restaurants and sits about 90 minutes east of St. Louis. Restaurant Week centers on locally owned kitchens offering debut dishes, favorites, prix fixe menus, and curated pairings, giving visitors a way to explore the city’s kitchens while providing residents a reason to revisit longtime favorites. The figures point to a maturing local dining economy that can marshal a weeklong promotional event around the town’s more than 70 establishments.
If the April 13–19, 2026 Restaurant Week draws a mix of visitors and locals as designed, the data suggests participating restaurants and cafés will see concentrated business across Effingham’s dining scene; meanwhile, the crash at 900th Street and 1350th Avenue leaves open the specific question of the injured driver’s recovery and whether local intersection controls or signage will be examined as a response to the collision.
