Up to 80 vehicles were trapped in the massive accident.
Six people were killed and dozens more injured after a massive pileup Monday in Illinois caused by a sudden dust storm, officials said.
More than 30 people were injured and taken to the hospital, including several people with life-threatening injuries, Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick said during an afternoon news conference. The victims range in age from 2 to 80, Starrick said.
The crash happened around 11 a.m. local time on Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, officials said. Car crashes were reported in both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-55 for a 2-mile stretch.
Several people died in a crash on Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, Illinois on Monday, May 1, 2023.
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The crash involved 40 to 60 passenger vehicles and at least 30 commercial vehicles, including two semi-trucks that caught fire, police said.
The cause of the crash was excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway, Starrick said. The crash prompted a response from a flurry of emergency vehicles and several helicopters.
Leach, who was driving an RV from Illinois to Texas, told ABC News she had been stuck in traffic behind the massive crash for five hours.
“It actually looks like snow almost when I was sending [my kids] videos,” said Karen Leach, who was caught in the storm. “And it looked like the end of the world.”
The stretch of I-55 where the crash occurred is expected to be closed at least through the evening, Starrick said.
“My team and I are closely following the devastating crash on I-55 as authorities learn more,” Rep. Nikki Budzinski wrote on Twitter. “Please stay safe as this situation continues to develop.”
