DIX – Officials are confirming that a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Illinois 37 claimed the life of one person and sent three others to the hospital for treatment.

According to Jefferson Fire, the head-on crash happened around 3:45 p.m. on Illinois 37 north of Dix.

A nearby resident ran to the crash scene and helped occupants in the vehicles get out.

A deputy coroner pronounced a female occupant dead at the scene, while two others were airlifted to regional hospitals for treatment. A third occupant was transported by ambulance to a Mt. Vernon hospital.

One of the helicopters landed in a nearby field, while the second landed directly on Illinois 37.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department closed the highway for four hours while first responders helped the injured and then investigated and cleaned up the crash.

The crash is being handled by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from an Illinois State Police accident reconstructionist.