STANFORD - A 31-year-old Stanford man who died after rear-ending a garbage truck Thursday morning apparently sneezed right before the collision and was unable to stop in time, according to the McLean County coroner.

Timothy R. Applegate, a married father of two young children, was on his way to work in Peoria around 6:30 a.m. when his car rear-ended the stationary truck on Division Street just south of Illinois 122, Coroner Beth Kimmerling said.

Timothy R. Applegate

Applegate was trapped in the wreckage before being taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, where he died just after 8 a.m., authorities said.

But while injured and trapped in his car, Applegate called his wife and told her that he sneezed while driving, and by the time he looked up he had crashed into the truck, Kimmerling said.

The two-lane Division Street was clear of ice and snow, and speed is not believed to be a factor in the crash, she said.

The truck's driver said he saw Applegate's car approaching from inside the truck, and it appeared it would not be able to stop in time. That driver and a second crew member who was collecting garbage outside the truck were not injured.

The garbage truck belongs to Neville Trucking, Minier, which performs garbage pickup Thursdays in Stanford, a company official said. A Bloomington company picks up on Wednesdays.

The Neville truck was close to completing service for the day and was on its way out of town, the official said.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate Applegate died from multiple injuries, specifically to the chest, Kimmerling said. Forensic toxicology tests have been ordered.

The McLean County sheriff's department is assisting the coroner's office with the investigation. It was unclear who called 911 to report the crash.