Longtime Springfield educator dies of brain cancer complicated by accident in Effingham County
A Springfield man died Thursday evening of brain cancer complicated by a two-vehicle accident in Effingham County on April 19.
Mike Filter, 62, was a vice principal, teacher and coach at Lutheran High School in Springfield for over 30 years before leaving in 2018.
Since 2018, Filter had been a teacher at Sangamon County Learning Academy, which is housed in the Capital Area Career Center.
Illinois State Police said the accident happened at the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Illinois 128. The intersection is between the towns of St. Elmo and Altamont, just north of Interstate 70.
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An ISP report indicated that Filter's wife, Laura Filter, 63, was driving southbound on Illinois 128. Filter's car was struck by a pickup truck driven by Tracy Evans, 48, of Vandalia. Evans was eastbound Route 40.
The accident remains under investigation by ISP.
Both Mike Filter and Laura Filter were airlifted to HSHS St. John's Hospital. Evans refused medical attention.
Laura Filter has been released from the hospital, according to a family spokesman.
As Lutheran's head baseball coach, Filter led the school to its only regional title in 1993.
Mike Filter's funeral was at St. John's Lutheran (ELCA) Church on Tuesday.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Longtime Lutheran High School educator, coach dies in Springfield IL
