Topline
A massive dust storm in central Illinois caused a 40-plus car pileup that has left “multiple” people dead, state police confirmed Monday, while more than 30 people have been taken to local hospitals following the deadly crash.
Key Facts
The Illinois State Police reported multiple crashes on the interstate starting just before 11 a.m. local time, involving between 40 and 60 vehicles, including two semi-trailers that caught on fire.
Police attribute the crash to “excessive winds” that blew dirt from nearby farms over the interstate, causing “zero visibility.”
Both directions of Interstate 55 in parts of Sangamon and Montgomery counties—outside the state capital of Springfield—have been closed, the Illinois Department of Transportation said in a Facebook post.
Tangent
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for central and north-central Illinois, as well as Iowa, Minnesota, southern Indiana and Ohio, and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, warning “frequent” wind gusts up to 45 mph will continue throughout the afternoon, with strong gusts making “travel difficult,” particularly on north-south roads. The NWS also issued a “special weather statement” for western Illinois and eastern Iowa, warning “blowing dust can become hazardous.”
Further Reading
‘Multiple’ fatalities, numerous crashes in dust storm on I-55 in south-central Illinois (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/05/01/illinois-dust-storm-leaves-multiple-people-dead-amid-highway-pile-up/