A Tennessee man has been arrested in connection with a Wednesday morning traffic accident that killed a retired Tilton police chief who was working on a road-construction crew near the Interstate 57/74 interchange.

Quamaine Fletcher has been charged with one count of reckless homicide in the death of Steven Cornett, according to the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The incident occurred at 3:30 a.m. on eastbound I-74 near the interchange.

Fletcher told authorities that he was driving at 65 miles per hour (the limit in the construction zone is 45 mph) and was reaching for his cellphone, which had fallen, and accidentally veered off the road, then overcorrected.

Champaign County Coroner Laurie Brauer said Mr. Cornett, 65, of Danville was pronounced dead at 4:45 a.m. at the scene. Preliminary findings indicate that he died of blunt-force injuries after being hit.