A day after over 70 vehicles collided in a dust storm on an expressway in central Illinois, a minimum of 6 individuals were dead, according to officials.
According to authorities, the incidents on Interstate 55 occurred just before 11 a.m. in Montgomery and Sangamon counties, south of the state capital, when dust from recently plowed fields covered the road. Springfield, the state capital, is located in Sangamon County.
According to the Illinois State Police, 37 people with wounds that varied from mild to dangerous were hospitalized. According to Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick, the injured individuals varied in age between 2 to 80.
According to investigators, Shirley Harper, 88, of Franklin, Wisconsin, was among the individuals killed in the accident.
The collisions, which occurred over a 2-mile stretch of I-55, included 72 automobiles, according to authorities. According to Starrick, 2 semi-trucks also got fire.
According to him, all of the injuries have been identified in the northbound lanes, yet the accidents occurred in both the north and southbound lanes.