Illinois dust storm pile-up crash on I-55 involving 72-vehicles leaves 6 dead, over 30 injured

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Unwell. (WLS) — A mud storm in central Illinois led to a pile-up crash of greater than 70 automobiles that killed six individuals and injured greater than 30 others Monday.

Crushed autos lined the expressway south of Springfield, closing an almost 20-mile stretch of I-55.

Authorities continued to work to clear that stretch of the expressway, which they mentioned was again open to visitors shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Illinois State Police have launched the id of 1 sufferer, 88-year-old Shirley Harper of Franklin, Wisconsin.

WATCH: Illinois State Police give replace on downstate crashes

Police mentioned three different individuals have been recognized, however their names haven’t but been launched. Two of the individuals recognized have been from Champaign, Illinois and one was from Florissant, Missouri.

A complete of 72 automobiles crashed into one another, with drivers describing the burned and mangled metallic as surreal.

Quetta Penson was driving dwelling to Chicago. She noticed the aftermath of dozens of crashes on this two-mile stretch of I-55about 30 miles south of Springfield.

“It felt like a struggle zone,” Penson mentioned. “We might see our bodies that have been simply lifeless laying within the grass on the aspect of the highway.”

The issues started at round 11 a.m. Monday. Excessive winds blew mud from close by farm fields onto the interstate close to mile put up 76 in Montgomery County, bringing the visibility down to close zero.

“The correct process can be to place your hazards on, get on the aspect of the highway and let the mud cloud go, however individuals stored simply driving into it,” driver Nathan Cormier mentioned. “If I hadn’t moved to the left lane, I’d have been crushed behind the 2 purple automobiles behind me.”

The Illinois Division of Transportation tweeted simply after 11:15 a.m. that I-55 was closed in each instructions between Divernon and Farmersville, Illinois in Sangamon and Montgomery counties.

Authorities mentioned accidents vary from minor to life threatening and the ages of these injured vary from two to 80 years outdated.

As crews work to clear the wreckage, there might have been hazardous supplies that spilled. Officers need to guarantee all of that’s cleaned up earlier than they re-open the realm.

Drivers have been in disbelief and mentioned visibility was virtually non-existent as soon as you bought contained in the cloud, which moved over I-55 with out warning.

Many did not have time to brake, slamming into automobiles and vans of their path.

Cormier captured video of the scene. He was in a position to decelerate simply in time to keep away from being hit by two automobiles round him, and one of many first automobiles to see what loomed forward over the southbound lanes.

Cormier mentioned he hopped out of his automotive and began serving to pull different surprised drivers from their automobiles earlier than emergency responders might even reduce by means of the visitors snarl to begin evacuating drivers.

He was coated in mud after the hassle.

“I do know the one automotive in entrance of me. He rear-ended a truck, and he had cracked ribs, quite a lot of facial contusions from airbag deployments. It was a doozy day. It is nonetheless going. After I drove into it, it was mild at first, after which it simply grew to become a, just about a grey out,” he mentioned.

Cormier was stranded for about 4 hours.

By later within the day Monday, he was in a position to get out of the mess, as crews slowly work to clear particles.

Mud storms like this are usually not unusual in Illinois.

ABC7 Chicago meteorologist Larry Mowry mentioned winds have been 35 to 45 mph within the space, which has been dry.

Farmers additionally had simply been planting, mentioned Megan Types, environmental scientist College of Illinois Springfield.

The storm appears to cowl 20 to 30 miles, originating a number of miles west of the I-55 hall.