DU QUOIN - State police are investigating a traffic accident Monday afternoon on U.S. 51 in Du Quoin that injured a Perry County deputy and another driver and heavily damaged a Perry County Sheriff's Department squad car and a pickup truck.

Trooper David Sneed of Illinois State Police District 13, which is investigating the crash, said the deputy, Timothy T. Jablonski, 30, of Tamaroa, was northbound on U.S. 51. He apparently had activated his emergency lights and was preparing to pursue a viola-tor when a pickup truck driven by Kyle A. Jones, 20, of Du Quoin turned left and hit the Dodge Intrepid squad car, Sneed said.

The truck caught fire, but bystanders were able to extinguish the blaze before Du Quoin firefighters arrived. Jablonski was extri-cated from the wrecked squad car by the Du Quoin Fire Department crew, fire Capt. Rick Loyd said.

Jablonski, who was wearing his seat belt, was taken to Marshall Browning Hospital in Du Quoin and later transported to St. Louis University Medical Center and was listed in stable condition, Perry County Sheriff Keith Kellerman said.

Jones, who also was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Marshall Browning Hospital with minor injuries. He was ticketed for failure to yield while turning left.

The Du Quoin Fire Department was called to the crash at 5:20 p.m., Loyd said, and remained at the scene until nearly 8:30 p.m.

Investigation of the accident continues, Sneed said. A state police accident reconstruction team was sent to the scene, the inter-section of U.S. 51 and Jefferson Street, near the north entrance of Southtown Shopping Center.

linda.rush@thesouthern.com

618-351-5079