2023 – May 1, vehicular pileup in farm dust in high wind, I-55 north of Farmersville, IL– 6

–6 NBC News. “6 dead, dozens hospitalized after blinding dust storm in Illinois…pileups.” 5-1-2023.
–6 NBC 5 Chicago. “‘Beyond Unreal’: Cleanup Continues After Dust Storm…” 5-2-2023.

Narrative Information

May 1, NBC News: “Six people were confirmed dead in a series of highway collisions Monday in rural Illinois that were blamed on a blinding dust storm, authorities said. More than 30 people, ages 2 to 80, were hospitalized with injuries from minor to life-threatening, Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick said at an early evening news conference.

“The collisions, which involved as many as 90 vehicles on Interstate 55 north of Farmersville just before 11 a.m., included separate pileups on the northbound and southbound sides, state police said. “The cause of the crash is due to excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway leading to zero visibility,” Starrick said. Involved in the collisions were two big rigs that had been on fire, roughly 28 other commercial vehicles and as many as 60 passenger vehicles, Starrick said.

“The first pileup was reported on the northbound side of the interstate, which runs through farm country. Starrick said topsoil and dust from the farms were blown across the roadway. “This is not uncommon,” Starrick said. “This has happened before in various parts of the state of Illinois.” However, he said, the number of vehicles and casualties was unusual. A Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency official said at the news conference that it was difficult to reach the injured because some vehicles were on fire when first responders arrived.

“The National Weather Service on Monday forecast “widespread blowing dust,” with gusts of 34 mph possible, for the Farmersville area. Winds were out of the northwest, federal forecasters said.

“State police said visibility continued to be low. The interstate was closed in both directions north of Farmersville, a small village along a defunct stretch of Route 66, as investigators tried to reconstruct some of the timeline and conduct a secondary search for victims….” (NBC News (Dennis Romero) “6 dead, dozens hospitalized after blinding dust storm in Illinois caused multiple highway pileups.” 5-1-2023.)

May 2, NBC 5 Chicago: “Interstate 55 in South-Central Illinois remains closed and a massive clean-up is still underway after a rare dust storm Monday caused a horrific and deadly chain reaction of more than 70 cars and semi-trucks. According to officials, 72 vehicles were involved in the pile-up, which took place Monday morning on two mile stretch of I-55 between Divernon and Farmersville in downstate Illinois.

“Six people were killed in the crash, and more than 30 others were injured. According to the Illinois State Police, one of the victims killed has been identified as Shirley Harper, 88, of Franklin, Wisconsin. In an update Tuesday, the ISP said the Montgomery County Coroner’s office is “working diligently to identify the five other individuals killed in the crash and notify their families.”…” (NBC 5 Chicago. “‘Beyond Unreal’: Cleanup Continues After Dust Storm Causes Deadly Chain Reaction on I-55.” 5-2-2023.)

Sources

NBC News (Dennis Romero) “6 dead, dozens hospitalized after blinding dust storm in Illinois caused multiple highway pileups.” 5-1-2023. Accessed 5-1-2023 at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/blinding-dust-storm-illinois-leads-multiple-fatalities-dozens-hospital-rcna82327

NBC 5 Chicago. “‘Beyond Unreal’: Cleanup Continues After Dust Storm Causes Deadly Chain Reaction on I-55.” 5-2-2023. Accessed 5-3-2023 at: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-dust-storm-crash-divernon-farmsville-cleanup-i-55-closed/3131813/