UPDATED 7 A.M. (5/2)
CHATHAM, Ill. – Blowing dust from farm fields due to strong winds is being cited as the reason for numerous crashes Monday morning with fatalities just south of Springfield on Interstate 55.
The incidents occurred just before 11:00 A.M. near Farmersville in Montgomery County.
Six fatalities have been confirmed so far, but an Illinois State Police spokesman says at least 37 people were taken to the hospital.
One of the victims has been identified as 88-year-old Shirley Harper of Franklin, Wisconsin. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the other five victims and notify their families.
Authorities say at least 72 passenger vehicles were involved in the crashes, including two semi-trucks that caught on fire.
Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-55 were reopened Tuesday just before 7 a.m.
Illinois State Police have set up a hotline for those involved in the crashes, those with questions or those who have information at (618) 346-3653.
UPDATED 5:49 P.M.
(Reuters) -A dust storm that cut visibility to near zero on Monday triggered a series of chain-reaction crashes involving dozens of vehicles on an Illinois highway, killing six people and injuring at least two dozen others, state police and coroner’s officials said.
Roughly 40 to 60 passenger cars and about 20 commercial vehicles, including numerous tractor-trailer rigs, were involved in the pileup around 11 a.m. CT (1200 ET) on Interstate 55 in southern Illinois, a state police official said at an afternoon press conference.
More than 30 people were transported to area hospitals with injuries, and there were “multiple fatalities,” the official said. Two of the trucks caught fire as a result of the crash and it was possible that one of them had exploded, he said.
Joletta Hill, chief deputy for the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, later confirmed by telephone that at least six people were confirmed dead from the accidents.
Local media posted video footage of the scene showing smashed cars and trucks crumpled against one another, some of them on the shoulder of the highway. The clip showed one truck burning amid a thick haze of dust and smoke.
The state police official said the pileup near the town of Farmersville, about 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Chicago, was caused by “excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway, resulting in zero visibility.”
The 17-mile stretch of the highway remained closed in both directions several hours later, state police said.
“My team and I are closely following the devastating crash on I-55 as authorities learn more. Please be safe as this situation continues to unfold,” U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski of Illinois said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Cynthia Osterman)
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CHATHAM, Ill. – Blowing dust from farm fields due to strong winds is being cited as the reason for numerous crashes Monday morning with fatalities just south of Springfield on Interstate 55.
The incidents occurred just before 11:00 A.M. near Farmersville in Montgomery County.
The exact number of fatalities is not known at this time, but an Illinois State Police spokesman says more than 30 people were taken to the hospital.
Authorities say around 20 commercial motor vehicles and up to 60 passenger vehicles were involved. It includes two semi-trucks that caught on fire.
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UPDATED 3:41 P.M.
(WMBD/Reuters) – Multiple people were reported killed and dozens of other people wounded on Monday in car crashes along Interstate 55 in southern Illinois during a dust storm, state police said.
Roughly 40 to 60 passenger cars and as many as 20 commercial vehicles were involved in the crashes shortly after 11 a.m. CT (1200 ET), an Illinois State Police spokesman said during an afternoon press conference.
Some 30 people were transported to local hospitals with injuries, the spokesman said. Two of the trucks caught fire and it was possible one of them had exploded.
The highway remained closed in both directions several hours later.
“My team and I are closely following the devastating crash on I-55 as authorities learn more. Please be safe as this situation continues to unfold,” U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski of Illinois said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Cynthia Osterman)
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UPDATED 2:10 P.M.
CHATHAM, Ill. – Interstate 55 is closed in both directions after a traffic crash Monday morning.
Illinois State Police says the crash occurred just before 11:00 A.M. north of Farmersville in Montgomery County.
The northbound and southbound lanes between mile markers 63 and 80 are closed, and traffic is being diverted onto a frontage road in the area.
The Chatham Fire Department says at least 20 vehicles were involved, and visibility is near zero in the area.
25 News is reporting that a hazmat team from the Springfield Fire Department is on scene.
**UPDATE at approximately 12:11 p.m.**
Interstate 55 is shut down from milepost 52 – 80, both directions. Divernon City Hall being used as reunification post for families of people involved in the crash.— IllinoisStatePolice (@ILStatePolice) May 1, 2023
I’m keeping a close eye on the fallout of a dust storm that reportedly caused 40 to 60 cars to crash along I-55 in Sangamon and Montgomery Counties.
I stand ready to assist people in getting the support they need.
— Congressman Eric Sorensen (@RepEricSorensen) May 1, 2023
Update 4:43 pm: @ILStatePolice expects that Interstate 55 in this area will remain closed at least through this evening. https://t.co/QGhsu8mtjn
— IDOT_Illinois (@IDOT_Illinois) May 1, 2023
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 1, 2023
My prayers are with the victims and the families of those involved in the horrible crash on I-55 today in Sangamon and Montgomery Counties. We are grateful to the first responders and Illinois State Police who acted to support those in need. https://t.co/MVFeWIwHv4
— Darin LaHood (@RepLaHood) May 1, 2023
