PEORIA, Ill. — It’s unclear how serious any injuries might be, but Illinois State Police say they responded to a jack-knifed semi blocking a major interstate in Central Illinois.
It happened late Wednesday as snow continued to challenge drivers along Interstate 55 south of Lincoln.
ISP reported responding to a crashed 18-wheeler, blocking all three lanes of I-55 northbound at roughly 4:15 p.m.
Troopers sent an update by 4:47 p.m., saying all lanes of traffic had been cleared.
Local and state authorities have continued warning drivers to use caution and slow their speed if they are forced to be on Central Illinois roadways.
Still, just in case, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has activated 130 Illinois National Guard members along with ISP troopers to help stranded and crashed motorists across the state.
We cannot confirm whether National Guard members were involved in the response effort at the crashed semi-truck.
With snow accumulations at 12 to 14 inches in some areas, heavy snowpack is to be expected on most rural stretches of interstate highway, perhaps lasting until early Friday.
In earlier forecasts, authorities had predicted near impossible driving conditions for the same period late Wednesday when the aforementioned semi-truck crash ocurred.
