James “Jimmy” Pepper, Jr. of New Hanover was killed instantly in a one-vehicle accident July 31 in Columbia. At 5:30 a.m., Pepper, 20, was driving his Jaguar southbound on Route 3 when he apparently lost control of the vehicle at the Quarry Road exit. The car came to rest after slamming into a utility pole at the bottom of the ramp. There were no other occupants in the vehicle. The crash is being reconstructed by the Illinois State Police and the initial report indicates Pepper was not wearing a seat belt.
