A pileup of almost 100 vehicles on an Illinois highway on Monday left six individuals dead and more than thirty individuals injured.
The crashes occurred within a 2-mile stretch, according to the Illinois State Police.
“At 10:55 a.m. there was a crash on northbound Interstate 55 at Milepost 76. At the same time, there were numerous crashes on southbound Interstate 55 at Milepost 76,” the law enforcement agency said in apress release.
According to the state police agency, the crash included “approximately 30 commercial motor vehicles and 40 to 60 passenger cars.” Two truck-tractor semi-trailers are also said to have caught fire as a result of the incident.
While the incident remains under investigation, the cause is said to be “due to excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway leading to zero visibility.”
Illinois State Highway Patrol/UPI/Shutterstock
“You couldn’t even see. People tried to slow down, and other people didn’t, and I just got plowed into. There were just so many cars and semi-trucks with so much momentum behind them,” said Evan Anderson, 25, who was on the highway during Monday’s incident,according to the Associated Press.
“Reports show there are six fatalities, all occurring in the northbound lanes,” the Illinois State Police announced in their press release. “We do not have any additional information on those individuals at this time.”
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The National Weather Service advisesdrivers to “keep both hands on the wheel and slow down” if caught in a windstorm while out on the road.
“If winds are severe enough to prevent safe driving, get onto the shoulder of the road and stop, making sure you are away from trees or other tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. Stay in the car and turn on the hazard lights until the wind subsides,” the organization adds.
source: people.com
